His Love
by kisukebenihime
Summary: I understand your concern for my well being but that doesn't give you the right to beat the ever-living-crap out of my boyfriend!" full sum. inside Pairs will appear as the story goes
1. Chapter 1

Becoming an ANBU

(**A/N: **I couldn't help but start on this because it's been driving me crazy!)

**Summary: (AU, non-massacre) **Itachi and Sakura have been married for 20 years now with three children. Their oldest, a 17 year-old ANBU, is sent on a mission to make sure the Daimyo and his family returns home safely. But, the Akatsuki have other plans! They want Itachi and the Sharingan. Low and behold, they've only succeeded in pissing off the proud papa bare by taking 'daddy's-little-girl'.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

~xxx~

"I can't believe you did it again!" screeched a raven-haired girl as she stalked toward her father. Her livid obsidian eyes glared at him in a fury he had never seen before.

"He wasn't worthy." He responded dryly. "If he cannot defeat me then how will he protect you?" her father asked as she halted just two feet from him.

"I understand your concern for my well being…but that doesn't give you the right to beat the ever-living-crap out of my boyfriend!" she was so close to just hitting him at the moment but she refrained. Hitting the one man who she knew would protect her with his life wasn't something she did everyday and she wasn't going to start now. "Why is everything about strength with you? 'If he cannot defeat me blah, blah, blah'…you're supposed to be supportive and let me make my own mistakes."

"You will lower your tone and speak respectfully." He commanded in a low voice, though his tone was steel. The great Uchiha Itachi demanded respect from everyone…especially his children.

"Gomen nasai, otousan, I meant no disrespect." She bowed low to him.

"Ayako, look at me." He commanded softly, his tone was much less steely and calmer. She did as she was told. Slowly, Itachi raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder. He was never the type to openly show his affection (nor did he speak it for that matter) but there were a few occasions where he would, and this was one of them. "No matter what you think, I'm not trying to ruin your life. I'm merely looking out for your best inertest."

Ayako sighed softly. "I know…but don't you think you're being a little, oh I don't know, overprotective?" she asked carefully.

"Trust me; if I were being overprotective…you wouldn't be a shinobi." He answered with a smirk. That hit her like a ton of bricks! She wanted to be strong like her father, and to know that he could have stopped her before the shenanigans even started…just unthinkable!

"I'm sorry father." She apologized again as she glared at her feet. "Did you have to be so hard on Riku though?" Ayako asked, tilting her head up to look at her father. Itachi sighed and brushed her long raven hair back behind her ear in an uncharacteristic display of affection.

"He's a Hyuuga! If he can't handle a good beating then he should train harder." He stated dryly. Ayako laughed; good and hardy.

"You should still apologize. He had no idea about your _test._" She said as she smiled at him.

"Me, apologize? I think not. You should have warned him in the first place." He scoffed. Oh yes, the great Uchiha was above apologizing. "You'd better go check on him before he limps away."

"Mom is going to be so mad." Ayako said as she turned away. Itachi turned towards her sharply.

"You're not going to tell her are you?" even Itachi was afraid of the wrath of his wife. Sakura had firmly believed that Ayako should be able to choose for herself who she would be with. But as usual, Itachi had to test the poor unsuspecting boys; four this year alone, seven in total.

"She's going to find out one way or another." Ayako answered as she continued to walk away.

~xxx~

"You did WHAT? Not again! Itachi, you promised that you wouldn't interfere." Sakura snapped. "She's seventeen, not a little girl. Ayako is perfectly capable of choosing for herself." She defended, though she was a bit surprised that Itachi had came out and told her that he had, once again, interfered with his precious daughter's love life.

"He came close though, I'll give him that." He said as he watched Sakura prepare dinner. "After that boy from Suna, every one of her suitors will be tested. Not just to see if their strong but also to see if they will hurt her. I will not let _that _happen again."

_~Flash back~_

_Ayako had gone on a date with a strapping young man from Suna. The pair had been together for about a month and had decided to finally go out to see a movie. While Itachi and Sakura enjoyed a nice, quiet evening at home, Ayako was having an unpleasant time with her boyfriend._

"_Just one kiss, that's all I ask." The boy practically begged. Ayako wasn't having any of it. She wasn't ready for any of that just yet and she didn't feel it necessary for any sort of public display of her affection for him (which was steadily decreasing by the second). _

"_Shin, I'm not ready for that yet…any of that. Just pipe down and respect my decision to _not _kiss you." She retaliated, sending him a warning glare. But it wasn't working. _

"_Oh, come on. It's only a kiss. No one has ever been hurt by a kiss." Much to her chagrin, she didn't see anything wrong in his logic and conceded after a brief moment. That's when things got out of control. To her dismay, Shin started to feel her up, running his hands over places no one dare touch before._

_And she fought back. When he didn't stop like she had asked him to, Ayako proceeded to beat him within an inch of his life. Just before she could do anything else to the poor, unconscious boy, the Hokage and Kazikage stopped her and immediately demanded an explanation. _

_After a tear-filled story, both Kages resigned from their immediate anger and took the sobbing girl home. To say that Itachi was pissed was an understatement. From that day on, every suitor had to face off, in hand-to-hand combat, with the overly-protective Uchiha. _

_~End flash back~_

Sakura sighed at her husband's actions. "I know you worry about her but she took care of it. That boy was the Kazikage's bodyguard after all, and she handled herself just fine." Sakura moved closer to Itachi, her anger slowly dying down. She placed a gentle hand on his and looked him in the eyes. "She's not the five-year-old girl who would come running to you when she was hurt, not any more. Ayako is perfectly capable of taking care of herself." Itachi sighed, he knew she was right.

"It's true," he started then said something completely unexpected. "But in my eyes, she will always be my little girl." Sobering confession as it was, Sakura smiled softly at him.

"I'll get dinner started, Ayako took Riku home…she should be back any minute now."

~xxx~

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Itachi said as Sasuke and Ayako walked in the front door.

"I found Sasuke-ojisan on my way back from the Hyuuga compound."

"Sasuke-ojisan!!" two voices screeched as their short figures came racing around the corner.

"Shiro-kun, Akito-kun, how's it going?" Sasuke managed to say before being tackled to the ground by the eleven and six-year-old.

"You're back early, Sasuke." Sakura said as she tried to pry her boys off of their uncle.

"Yeah, things went better than expected. Anyways, I have important news from Hokage-sama." He said as he finally stood up and dusted himself off.

"Let's talk about it over dinner." Itachi said as he led the way with both of his sons trailing close behind.

Once they were seated, Ayako began passing food around and cutting up the chicken for her youngest brother, Akito. Sakura listened intently to Shiro as he talked about his day at the academy while Itachi and Sasuke talked about clan business.

"Not too fast otouto, chew your food." Ayako said as she watched Akito practically inhale his food.

"Sorry ane-chan, I'll try." The young raven-haired boy said with a big toothy grin.

"Ane-chan, when's your next mission?" Shiro asked, looking up from his plate to Ayako.

She shrugged. "I don't know otouto; missions were suspended until we hear back from the Hokage about the ANBU exams." Ayako informed as she pushed her green beans around on her plate.

"Speaking of which; I have something for you." Sasuke said as he stood from the table and went to fetch his pack. He set it on the counter and dug through it until he found what he was looking for. "Let's go into the living room." He motioned as he walked passed her and rounded the corner. Ayako followed after a quick glance from her parents. They obviously knew what was going to happen next.

Ayako entered the living room and faced her uncle; not at all sure of what was going to happen now.

"I know I missed your birthday…but I'm sure these will more than make up for it." Sasuke said, holding a white box in his hands. He held the box out to her as if demanding for her to take it. Like her father, Sasuke wasn't the type to show his affection. It was the way they were raised and she understood that. So what's with all the mushy feelings all the sudden?

Ayako took the box a few moments later, opening it carefully. Her eyes widened. It was a uniform…and ANBU uniform to be exact.

"No-freaking-way…I passed?!" she exclaimed as he head shot up to look at Sasuke. He nodded in reply. "Thank you Sasuke-ojisan…for all the excruciating training you put me through. I owe you big!" Ayako said as she hopped up and down with joy. After a quick hug, Ayako bounded off to the kitchen to show her brothers and parents her new uniform.

"That's so cool ane-chan! Who's your captain?" Shiro asked as he tried to put on her mask. It was too big for him, so it slid down his face, exposing his eyes and forehead.

"That would be me." Sasuke said as he resumed eating.

"Aw man, its bad enough I have to put up with a grumpy Sasuke-ojisan at home, _now _I have to put up with a grumpy _captain _Sasuke on missions." Ayako huffed with a small smile while he glared at her.

"We're expected to be at headquarters by 8 a.m. tomorrow." Sasuke said once he realized the death glare didn't work on his niece.

"Ok, I'll wake you up at 6:30 so you have time to tame your hair." She replied nonchalantly. Sasuke glared again.

"Ah, nothing like a little playful banter between family." Sakura said wistfully as she patted Ayako on the shoulder. "We are so proud of you. Ha, Ino owes me 100 yen!"

"Are you placing bets on our children…again?" Itachi asked as he set down his fork.

Sakura turned to her husband and smiled. "No, Ino said that Ayako would make it on her second try. She put a 100 yen on it. I said that I know Ayako would make it on her first try. She naturally assumed that I placed a bet."

"Then you can't collect any money." Ayako said as she turned to her mother. "If you didn't place a bet then you cannot collect a thing."

"She's right." Itachi confirmed.

"Oh, will you two just let me gloat for once." Sakura huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No." They answered in unison, with the same dry tone.

"You guys are no fun, no fun at all." She pouted.

"No, we're not fun," Ayako started with a smile. "We're family." Score! Brownie points for Ayako because her mother smiled back, eyes sparkling with unshed tears of pride for her eldest child.

"May I be excused?" a small voice piped up among the chatter.

"Not until you eat your vegetables." A firm voice came from across the table.

"Yes otousan." Akito replied solemnly as he poked at the green offending food on his plate.

"Jeez aniki, don't be so harsh on him. You didn't eat your vegetables when you were a kid." Sasuke said as he pushed his cleaned plate away.

"You weren't even born yet when I was his age, how would you know?" Itachi asked as he turned his attention to his brother.

"Mom told me you hated them." He answered. All conversation stopped. The death of their parents had been a shock. They had suffered some mysterious flu that couldn't be cured just a few years ago, and they still mourned. Ayako turned to her brothers and smiled a sad sort of smile.

"Just look at how strong daddy is. Do you think he got that way by sheer will?" both boys shook their heads no. "Otousan eats his vegetables; even Sasuke-ojisan ate his veggies, so you two should as well." Ayako picked up her plate and showed her brothers. "See, all gone; now you two should do the same." Shiro and Akito nodded then devoured their remaining vegetables.

"Now you can be excused." Itachi said, watching the boys scamper to their rooms to get ready for bed. He then turned his attention to his eldest child. "How did you get them to do that?" he asked, utterly curious.

"I spend a lot of time with them during my off hours. I know the way they work. Shiro and Akito want to grow up to be like you, otousan." She answered. Sakura began to gather the dishes but was stopped by Ayako. "I've got it, okaasan. Go relax; you've been on your feet all day."

No one said a thing as Ayako worked to clean up after dinner. Soon though, Itachi had joined her claiming the he couldn't let his daughter do everything while he sat around and got fat.

"You're going to make some guy so happy one day." Sasuke said as he stood in the corner, watching her work.

"Yeah, fat chance of that happening any time soon." Ayako snapped as she glared at Itachi who looked as innocent as can be, washing the dishes.

"Again…? Who was the poor schmuck this time? What's the grand total now?" he asked as Itachi turned to him.

"Seven and Riku is not a schmuck!" Ayako shot back heatedly.

"Hyuuga Neji's kid…well, now I don't feel so bad." Sasuke sneered and immediately ducked from the flying paper towel roll.

"You guys are so mean!" she seethed with clenched fists. "I'm going to bed…and I will wake you up early, ojisan." With that said, Ayako stormed out of the room.

~xxx~

As promised, Ayako walked into Sasuke's room and unceremoniously ripped him from the comfort of his bed.

"So rude…" he yawned while rubbing the goose egg forming on the back of his head. Hovering over him, Ayako glared down at him fully dressed and ready to go with a piece of toast hanging from her smirking lips.

"I warned you ojisan." She said then turned and walked out of his room.

"What was that sound?" Akito asked when Ayako entered the kitchen. Her parents and both brothers were up earlier than normal.

"Ojisan just woke up." Ayako replied in a monotone voice then sat back down to enjoy her breakfast. Sakura snickered at her response while Itachi remained emotionless. He was definitely _not _a morning person. "Otousan, would you like another cup of coffee?" Ayako asked in a chipper tone. Itachi held out his cup with his head hung low. Man, how he hated mornings.

Sasuke emerged from his room ten minutes later, still trying to make the bump go away.

"At least she didn't hit you with that insane strength of hers." An all too familiar voice said from the other side of the kitchen.

Naruto stood by the living room door with a glass of orange juice in his hand. Dressed in his ANBU attire with his cat mask tide to his shoulder, Naruto was the last person Sasuke thought he'd see this early in the morning.

"Shut up dobe!"

"Don't talk to me like that Sasuke-te…"

"Don't even think about it Uzumaki. You will refrain from using that language around my children." Itachi warned his voice deathly quiet. Naruto gulped loudly and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry about that Uchiha-sama." Naruto laughed nervously.

"Eat something Naruto-ojisan; we have a long day ahead of us." Ayako coaxed from her seat. Reluctantly, the blonde fox container joined the family and ate.

~xxx~

"I never knew pancakes could be so good." Naruto exclaimed as they hopped roof tops.

"That's because you eat nothing but ramen, dobe." Sasuke snapped when he landed then bounded for another building.

'_I feel a headache coming.' _Ayako thought as she followed her uncle and their family friend to HQ. Once there, the headache only got worse.

~xxx~

"Wow! She's so cute. Do you really think she's cut out for this line of work?" A brown haired man said and was immediately smacked by Sasuke.

"None of you letches is aloud around her unless it's related to the mission nor do I ever want to hear such a remark about my niece again. Got it?" He snapped. The brown haired man, just a year older than Ayako, nodded vigorously. Sasuke then turned his attention to the other two men in their unit. "That goes for the rest of you."

Silence…

"Ayako-san is our field medic and must be protected during every mission." Sasuke said then trained his attention on Ayako. "I have a meeting with the Hokage, Kyoji will show you around."

"Ano…which one is Kyoji?" she asked rather shyly. Ayako had always shy been around knew people.

Sasuke sighed. "The moron laying on the floor." Then he was gone.

Great, just perfect! He left her with a band of lecherous misfits, excluding Naruto of course.

"Hey, Kyoji-san, are you going to be alright?" Naruto asked as he lightly kicked the poor guy.

"Naruto-ojisan, you shouldn't kick him. He just got the crap beat out of him by Sasuke-ojisan." Ayako warned as she knelt down to check on him.

"You must be an angle…sent from the heavens for me to play with…" Kyoji said in a daze. Ayako dropped his head on the floor.

"On second thought, he can recover just fine by himself." She growled in irritation. Standing up, Ayako turned her attention to the two other men in her unit and bowed. "My name is Uchiha Ayako; it's nice to meet you."

"Troublesome…" one of the men muttered. "I'm Nara Shikamaru and this is Aburame Shino." Ayako glanced up to see a rather bored looking man with brown hair and a man would she couldn't really make out at all (due to the fact that his hood and jacket were covering a good portion of his face). "And that," Shikamaru said, pointing to the man on the floor, "is Yukihiro Kyoji. And he's the lecher of our outfit."

"So…I'm guessing it's a pet name for the rest of you then?" she joked. Shikamaru smirked and Shino 'hned' in response to her question. "Ugh, please don't 'hn' around me; you sound like my dad."

"I guess we'll have to show you around since our…_esteemed _colleague doesn't seem to be well." Shino said as he walked over the man on the floor.

"Shouldn't we at least see if he's ok?" she asked as they walked out of the room.

"Nah, just leave him; he'll be fine. It happens all the time." Naruto said as they walked down the hall.

"It happens to you all the time Naruto-san." Ayako said as they stepped into a large room full of ANBU members. She was in awe of all of the people around her. Ayako had no idea that there were so many members. "Is it ok to wet my pants now?" she ventured as they walked farther into the room.

"Don't worry about it. Just stick close to me and you'll be just fine." Naruto said as he weaved through the men and women around them.

"Sure…if I wanted to die today." The got a rise out of some of the people around them. Snickers and small laughs sounded from the people around her; one being Shino.

"All right, that's enough talking. Listen up; we have a new recruit in our ranks." Tsunade shouted over the ruckus of talking ninja. "Ayako, please step forward." The sea of people parted and self conscious Ayako stood in the middle.

'_Ah, shit! Here we go.'_ She thought as she gathered her nerves and stepped forward. Ayako stood next to Tsunade, overlooking the see of eyes that seemed to bore into her.

"Uchiha Ayako, please dawn your mask." The blonde Hokage instructed with authority. Harsh whispers erupted as Ayako brought her mask up to her face and tied it around her head.

"Silence…!" Tsunade commanded. All was quiet again. "From this day forward, when you ware your mask, you shall be known as…Crimson Moon." Tsunade said as she placed her hand on Ayako's shoulder. "Fellow ANBU, please welcome Crimson Moon, daughter of former ANBU members Cherry Blossom and Panther." A dark hush fell over the crowd as they seemed to know just who her parents were. Then the room erupted into cheers. Yet another Uchiha genius joined their ranks.

**A/N: **So…yes, no, should I continue or is this too farfetched for all of you? Give me a shout and tell me what you think. 


	2. Chapter 2

Meeting the Unexpected

**A/N: **Thanks for reading the first chapter. He he…

~xxx~

It had been three months since Ayako's induction into ANBU and the team has been doing extremely well ever since. Now it seemed that nothing was too tough for their team to handle. Though, today's mission was a piece of cake; they were never too careful.

Sasuke took the lead, Shikamaru behind him followed by Ayako and Shino, Kyoji was behind Shino and Naruto brought up the rear. The mission was as follows: deliver the scroll to the Tea Daimyo and stay until he signs the agreement, plain and simple, right?

Wrong…

The Daimyo had insisted that they stay for the night claiming that a good nights rest did everyone a lot of good. Being that he hadn't signed the agreement yet, the team had no choice but to stay. And that's when the headache started.

~xxx~

"Jeez Kyoji-san, can you be just a little louder, I can still hear in this ear!" Naruto exclaimed as he rolled over on the floor by the fireplace.

"Excuse me for being curious! I've never been to the Tea country before." Kyoji shot back with a glare. "What about you Ayako-san, have you ever been here before?"

Ayako, who had been reading a medical journal, looked up at Kyoji and sighed. "Yes I have Kyoji-san, when I was a genin." She answered then turned back to her reading. Ayako had learned rather quickly to answer him at first then ignore him just as quickly. "Do us all a favor and shut up. We're leaving tomorrow morning regardless; get some rest." Ayako said from behind the pages of the journal then snapped it shut and heeded her own advice.

"Oh, she's good." Shikamaru mused as he stood from the chair in the corner. The room that the team shared was similar to the barracks back in Konoha; a large room with rows of bunk beds with a large fireplace to keep it warm. The walls were paneled wood that seemed to glow by fire light. "All right kids, it's about that time. Night!" he called over his shoulder as he turned and walked to the bed he claimed for the night.

"You guys can't order me around, I have seniority." Kyoji defended, puffing out his chest like a bull frog.

"They were making suggestions, but I'm ordering you to shut the hell up and go to sleep." Sasuke said as he rolled over to glare at him. Kyoji gulped and scrambled to his bedding.

"Finally…" Ayako whispered, snuggling into her sleeping bag. A loud snore abruptly halted any form of dream that was beginning in her mind. "Jeez Naruto!" she moaned turning to find…Naruto climbing into bed?

"Not me…" he whispered then looked around. His face cracked into a wide fox-like grin once he found the source of the noise.

Shikamaru lay sprawled on his bed, face turned to the side and snoring so loud he could possibly wake the dead. Naruto crept over to his bed and pinched Shikamaru's nose. The snoring stopped a moment later then Naruto returned to his bed.

"Thanks!" Ayako chirped before getting comfortable again.

"No problem." He replied as he shifted in his sleeping bag.

"Murder all fluffy bunnies!" Kyoji screeched in his sleep. Both Ayako and Naruto sat up in their beds and stared at him as he continued his dreamy rampage. "Kill them all…so I can have bunny blankets." They were terrified now and scrambled away from him, sharing Naruto's bedding that now lay on the floor.

"Remind me to never get on his bad side." Naruto whispered and Ayako nodded her head in agreement.

"I need to invest in ear plugs." Ayako said when Kyoji's rant about bunnies, died down.

"I think it's safe to go to sleep now." Naruto said in a whisper, feeling his eyes start to drupe. But Ayako had already nodded off; peace and quiet at last.

"DIE!!"

~xxx~

"Just what the hell do you two think you're doing?" Sasuke snapped while glaring at the two sleeping on the floor. Ayako and Naruto sat up quickly and glared at Kyoji (who was _still _sleeping).

"I blame it on him." Ayako grumbled while stretching. "Thanks for protecting me Naruto-ojisan." She yawned then stood and grabbed her things.

"Like wise." He replied, gathering his sleeping gear and walking over to his bag. Soon the team was ready to go…but there was one _small _problem; Kyoji was still sleeping.

"I say we leave him." Shikamaru voiced as they stared at the problem at hand. After much argument, Ayako and Naruto walked over to the side of his bed and stuck their hands under the mattress. Shino pulled the small rug away from the bed while Sasuke counted to three. Kyoji was dumped unceremoniously onto the cold wooden floor below and was awake immediately, clutching his bloody nose.

"Get ready; we leave in five." Sasuke said in a clod tone. Kyoji groaned while sitting up but was ready to go in no time.

As luck would have it, the Daimyo did, in fact, sign the agreement so squad one bounded for home, a three day journey away.

~xxx~

Lord Fujimura walked through the small farming village with his wife, Haruka and their eldest son Hideki. The noble family decided to delay their journey to Konoha for an hour to stretch their legs before returning to the confines of the cramped carriage. It wasn't very often that the mistress of the fire nation left her home at the palace, but she found it a rare treat to see the word beyond the walls.

"Dearest, I'm glad you decided to take me with you this time…" Haruka started but was stopped by her husband.

"I know you're anxious to get to Konoha. Just relax; it's still a day's journey from here." He interjected as they stopped at a small hut. The busy roads teemed with people buying and selling various items but the world seemed to stand still for them. Haruka smiled at her husband as he bent down to eye level. They were so close, lips just inches apart when…

_Bump_

Some man hand accidentally walked into Haruka. The man whirled around and glared. But, upon realizing just whom he had ran into, the man apologized profusely.

"Mother, hand me your pouch, I'll hold onto it for you." Hideki said as he stepped closer to them, annoyed at the apparent rudeness of the farmers market.

"Thank you dear…" she said as she reached for her small coin purse. "Oh goodness, I must have misplaced it."

The Daimyo spun on his heels, searching for the man who ran into his wife. He spotted the man not too far ahead, still walking at a leisurely pace. "Thief, stop that man!" he shouted. Everyone turned to stare at him while the man started running. The thief turned his head to see if anyone was following, satisfied that no one seemed to care, he turned back and…

**BAM!**

He ran into an arm…a rather strong feminine arm at that, landing flat on his back. Winded, the thief could only watch as a masked woman scooped up the coin purse and walked away from him then two masked men picked him up and handed him over to two burly patrolmen.

"You're purse, Fujimura-sama." The masked woman said politely holding out the small silk bag to Haruka.

"Thank you shinobi, I am indebted to you." Haruka said as she took the bag back from the ANBU. The blue and white cat mask bowed low to her.

"It is my duty Fujimura-sama." She replied as she straitened up. Then her team appeared behind her, each giving a low bow to the noble family.

"Are you shinobi heading back to Konoha?" Lord Fujimura asked as he looked over the assembled ANBU team. A taller, raven-haired man stepped forward.

"We are Daimyo-sama. Do you wish us to accompany you?" the Daimyo was beside himself. He had never expected shinobi to appear and save the day.

"That would be much appreciated." He finally answered, snapping out of his daze. The raven-haired man bowed then turned to his men.

"Blue…" he spoke to a tall brown-haired man. "Run ahead; let Hokage-sama know that we'll be arriving with the Daimyo." 'Blue' nodded and leapt on ahead. The leader of the team turned back to the woman and addressed her. "Stay with them, we'll grab the supplies and meet you here in five."

"Yes captain." She replied with a salute. Then they were gone, leaving clouds of smoke in their wake. All the while, Hideki couldn't take his eyes off of the woman who had singlehandedly taken out the thief.

"May I ask your name, shinobi?" Hideki ventured as she turned towards them.

"I'm sorry, but the only name I can leave you with is 'Crimson Moon'." She answered; her tone was apologetic. _'Wow…what a hunk!' _her mind whistled. She was almost positive the cat-call in her mind was loud enough for him to hear because he smirked at her.

~xxx~

"They should arrive around noon tomorrow." Kyoji said standing in attention. He had arrived just minutes ago after a two hour long b-line for the Hokage tower.

"So, Crimson Moon took down a thief and the Daimyo had asked to be escorted here? Is that what you're telling me?" the blonde Hokage asked, not believing a word of it. Of course, if his team didn't trust him…why should she?

"Yes Hokage-sama." He replied with a curt nod. Tsunade sighed heavily.

"Very well, you are dismissed." She said and waved him off. "Shizune, tell Sakura I want to see her."

"Right away, Tsunade-sama." A brunette chirped and scurried out of the office. Tsunade reached inside her desk and removed a half empty bottle of sake from the bottom drawer.

"You had better be right…or Sakura will have your head for making her daughter miss her birthday." She growled in irritation. Sakura burst through the door of her office fifteen minutes later, worry clear in her emerald gaze.

"Is everything alright?" Sakura asked as she strode into the room.

"Sakura, Ayako-chan is going to miss your party because the team is escorting the noble family here." Tsunade informer her former apprentice. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare me like that. Wait, what?" the blonde snickered at the pink-haired woman across from her.

"She did send her gift ahead with a letter." She said as she tossed a small box to Sakura. "They'll be arriving at noon tomorrow if you really want to scold her. I'll be meeting the Daimyo at the gates." And that was it; she dismissed Sakura and retuned to her sake.

~xxx~

"Daimyo-sama, we're stopping for the night." Crimson Moon said as she knocked on the carriage door.

The merry group traveled most of the day in silence but every now and then Haruka would poke her head out and ask Crimson something, mostly idol chat between women. It was getting dark now and camp needed to be set up.

It definitely didn't help that the Daimyo traveled with a huge caravan of servants who wanted nothing to do with the ANBU team. And it most definitely didn't help her to know that every time she addressed Haruka, 'mister-fancy-pants' Hideki would peek over her shoulder to look at Ayako...I mean Crimson.

'_Please, no problems.' _She prayed as camp slowly started to take shape. Crimson stood in a tree with Shadow to her right flank and Fox to her left. Dark Wolf and Eagle circled the area, checking for possible threats. All seemed fine… for now.

Field rations had definitely tasted better. The dried, compacted food held the faint taste of plastic as Crimson bit into it.

"Remind me to pack extra…the stuff we got in the village tastes awful." She complained placing the wrapper in her pack.

"Want some ramen?" Fox asked handing her a bowl. She accepted graciously, keeping her back to the fire so that o one could see her face as she slurped up the delicious noodles.

"Thanks ojisan." Crimson smiled handing back the bowl.

"It's our turn for watch. You get Wolf and Eagle and I'll let Shadow know it's their turn to rest." Fox said as he stood. The duo had slept for the last four hours and now it was their turn for duty. Crimson nodded and put her mask back on. She stood and walked off towards the tree line where two members of her team stood watch.

"It's our turn for guard duty, go rest." She whispered softly. The two men turned to her and nodded before walking past her, heading straight for their bedding. Crimson remained in that spot until sun up when the camp seemed to come to life.

Hideki woke before his parents, a bit groggy but alert enough to know that Crimson stood with her back to him, her eyes glued to the trees. He shrugged inwardly and turned to his right, walking over to the bushes to relieve him self.

As he walked back to camp, Hideki tripped over a root and lost his balance. His arms flailed about as he tried desperately to regain his composure but it was too late and he was falling. Hideki's eyes clamped shut, arms thrust forward to break his fall, but it never came. A strong pair of hands pushed his chest then gripped his shoulders to steady him.

"Are you alright?" a smooth voice asked. Hideki's eyes shot open and met the all-too-familiar blue and white cat mask. Her hands had slipped back to his chest, holding Hideki firmly in place. His eyes widened momentarily before answering.

"I think so…but my ankle kind of hurts." He answered, a little miffed at how fast she was.

"Try walking on it. If you did hurt your ankle I can heal it." Crimson said taking a step back. Hideki nodded and took a step, regretting it immediately. Pain surged and throbbed through his foot causing him to wince and hiss in agony. Crimson slung his right arm over her shoulder as her left arm slipped around his waist, supporting him so they could hobble over to a stool.

"What happened?" Haruka asked as she emerged from her tent, her husband following closely behind.

"I'm a clumsy buffoon first thing in the morning." Hideki answered watching Crimson's hands glow a bright green over his right foot.

"We have a doctor who can look at that, you don't have to." The Daimyo said watching the young ANBU work.

"I'm a medic ninja, Daimyo-sama. It's my job to heal those who need it." Crimson answered smiling under her mask. "It's a gnarly sprain, but it won't take long."

"I'll bring you something to eat, Deki-chan. Just stay still for her ok." Haruka said as she and her husband walked away.

"Deki-chan…?" she questioned with a chuckle.

"Oh don't you start too. I hate that nickname!" Hideki scowled crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's all right, I know how you feel." Crimson said as she carefully placed his foot on her bent knee to get a better look. "Your secret's safe with me."

"I'm back Deki-chan." Haruka said as he handed him a plate of food. "How does it look Crimson-chan?"

"I'll be finished in just a minute. If we had let this go untreated, Hideki-sama would need crutches." She answered as she hands stopped glowing. "I'm going to rotate your ankle, let me know if you feel and pain or discomfort." Crimson said, tilting her masked face to look up at Hideki. He nodded and prepared for the worst. Surprisingly, he only felt the gentle warmth of her hands.

"Feels great!" he said happily with a grin.

"Al right, try moving it on your own." He did so without any problems. "Ok, you're all set…just try to watch your step next time." Crimson chirped and set his foot back on the ground gently.

"Thank you Crimson-chan, I'm very grateful for all your help." Haruka said as she shook Crimson's hand.

"There's no need for that, really." Crimson smiled sheepishly under her mask.

"It's time to move out." The Daimyo said and everyone moved into place. Fox in front, Eagle and Shadow in the rear and Crimson and Wolf on either side with the caravan trudging along at a decent pace. Again, every-so-often, Haruka would poke her head out and engage Crimson in conversation (though Crimson only paid attention half the time, she was still able to keep up with the noble woman).

~xxx~

Villagers and shinobi alike lined the dusty main street of Konoha to greet the noble family upon arrival. This was a rare treat to see the Daimyo and his family, and to be escorted by ANBU no less. The large audience bowed as the caravan passed by.

Ayako spotted her mother right away…and she didn't look happy.

'_I am so _dead_ when I get home.'_ She sighed and turned her attention back to the task at hand. Technically, her mission wasn't over until the Hokage received the signed agreement; guarding the noble family had been an added bonus. Ayako smirked under her mask. _'At least there was some eye-candy on this mission.' _Images of a scowling Hideki invaded her mind, but she pushed them aside because the caravan had come to a stop.

Ayako walked up to the carriage door and opened it, helping Haruka out first before stepping back and bowing to Hideki and the Daimyo.

"Welcome to Konoha, Ken-sama." Tsunade said as she bowed to the Daimyo. They shook hands and shared a brief chat before Tsunade turned to squad one. She walked over to the team that had lined up next to the carriage. The team bowed low to her as she smirked, zoning in on the raven-haired girl. Sasuke handed her the scroll and she dismissed the team after that.

~xxx~

"Mom, I am so sorry that I missed your birthday but if I hadn't helped the Daimyo, Konoha would be in a really tough spot right now." Ayako apologized from her knees as she bowed with her head on her hands.

"Oh, stand up already. I forgive you." Sakura said as she uncrossed her arms. "I love my gift, by the way." She grinned, placing her hand on her new necklace. "Oh, your father wants to see you."

Ayako cringed. "Now?" she asked as she stood.

"Yup, he's in the council chambers with the rest of the old fogies." Sakura whispered that last bit and winked at her daughter.

"I am so dead…" Ayako whined as she stalked off to the oh-so-secret room in the back of the main house. Straightening her uniform, Ayako raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Itachi said from the other side. Ayako walked in, closed the door behind her and bowed low to the men in the room.

"You wanted to see me otousan?" she asked as respectfully as possible. And yes, Ayako was a little scared by the hard looked the council members giving her.

"Your mother tells me that you helped the Daimyo's wife, is that correct?" he asked I a soft tone, but Ayako could clearly hear the pride in his voice.

"Yes, that is correct otousan." She answered with a curt nod. He smirked at her, as if he knew something she didn't.

"Very well, you may go." He said and looked down at some papers. Ayako bowed and bid then a good day before leaving. Scurrying down the hall, Ayako made a b-line for her bedroom for a much needed bath and a long nap.

Hours later, Ayako woke up to her mother shaking her.

"Ayako, Hokage-sama wishes to see you." Sakura whispered as Ayako opened her eyes. She sat up and stretched.

"Another mission…?" she asked as Sakura sat on the edge of her bed.

"No, your uniform is not required." Ayako could only guess at what was going to happen next.

**A/N: **Ok, another chapter down. Let me know what you think please and thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

Bodyguard

Itachi and Ayako walked cautiously towards the Hokage's office. It had only been twenty minutes since Ayako woke up being summoned to Tsunade's office along with her father. Neither one was about to make guesses as to why they were summoned but Itachi commended Ayako for her work on her last mission.

She fidgeted, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. She's not going to assign you another mission; it's your time off after all." Itachi said as they walked into the Hokage tower.

"It's not that otousan it's just the attention…I'm not used to it." She replied with a small smile. Itachi new what she meant. He had raised her to look at every possible angle from a distance, and knew that she, like him self, saw attention as a burden; especially when it came to people outside of their family. Ayako took his hand in hers in the smallest display of affection. He squeezed the small hand that held his own then they separated. Nothing further was necessary for them. Actions speak louder than words, or so they say.

~xxx~

Ken, Haruka and Hideki sat before Tsunade, waiting patiently for the guest of honor to arrive. It was getting late but the noble family had insisted on meeting the girl who helped them, face to face. Normally, the Hokage wouldn't allow anyone knowledge of her ANBU (it's a law actually) but since the noble family requested a meeting with Ayako, Tsunade saw no harm.

"Could you tell us a little more about her?" Haruka asked her petite form sitting as straight as can be in her chair. Tsunade nodded at her request.

"Ayako comes form one of Konoha's most prestigious clans. She's a 17-year-old ANBU and has been trained as a medic- as you well know." She replied the last part of her statement was directed toward Hideki who sat passively in her corner. "Ah, they're here." Tsunade chimed. There was a sharp knock on the door much to the noble family's surprise.

The office door swung open and in walked Itachi and Ayako, tall and proud in their clan kimonos. It wasn't hard to see that they were related; both had long raven hair tied back in a pony tail, charcoal eyes peered sharply as if sizing up an enemy. Ayako stood just a few inches shorter than Itachi and his 5'11" stature.

Hideki inhaled sharply. He hadn't expected her to be so…beautiful. His azure eyes roamed over her figure and from what he could see, she was the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid his eyes on. Milky skin stood in contrast to the dark blue kimono, white obi sitting perfectly on her flat stomach, small hands at her sides. What really made her stand out were her eyes, like black marbles, deep in color and rich in emotion. She had a curious look on her face as her eyes scanned the room. Their eyes met for a brief second. But she turned her eyes away and focused on Tsunade.

Clan leader and heiress bowed low to the blonde Hokage. Tsunade had a sly smile on her face as she eyed the dark-haired girl before her. It was rather amusing to see Ayako so flustered and confused. Obviously, the girl had no idea what she was in for and Tsunade only hoped Ayako would agree.

"Let's get down to business. I have summoned you here to discuss a proposition for you Ayako-san." The busty blonde spoke in a professional manner, her stern eyes gave nothing away. "Fujimura-sama has requested that you take on the role as their personal bodyguard and escort during their stay here in Konoha. I have no problem with the request but I felt it necessary to ask if you would take the position." Tsunade said as she placed her elbows on her desk and rested her chin on her laced fingers. "You've done a fantastic job so far, without being asked, and I believe you will continue to do so. So…will you or won't you take this position?"

Ayako was floored. Was she really asking her to do what she thought she was? Ayako chanced a glance at her father who gave her a tiny nod.

'_Father thinks I should. No doubt mother would say the same…and the clan would benefit greatly as would the village. What about my missions and the team? Should I really do this? Yes, yes I should. There's no point in turning her down…besides, they're nice people, especially Haruka-sama.' _ After the mental pep talk, Ayako made up her mind…it was her decision to make and hers alone. "It would be an honor Hokage-sama." She finally answered with a low bow.

"Very well," Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair. "Treat this as you would any other mission: their safety is top priority. Starting tomorrow, you will escort Haruka-sama and Hideki-sama wherever they wish to go and return them to the Kage suite. They will be guarded by ANBU at night." And that was it. After a brief talk with the noble family, Itachi and Ayako left the tower and went home.

~xxx~

"Aneki, what did the Hokage say?" Shiro asked as his father and elder sister walked into the kitchen.

"Your sister will be the bodyguard and escort for the noble family during the duration of their stay." Itachi answered as he sat down at the table.

"That's wonderful news." Sakura said placing a kettle of water on the stove. "But why were you chosen?"

"Daimyo-sama requested me." Ayako answered as she took her place at the table.

"So, you have to babysit the noble family?" Shiro questioned with a cocked eyebrow. Ayako heaved a sigh.

"No, babysitting implies you, brat." She answered turning her head to her brother. He glared at her. "Isn't it passed your bedtime?"

Shiro laughed nervously. "Yeah, but I wanted to say 'good night' to you and dad." He said then got up from his chair and walked over to her. Ayako turned to face him and pulled him into a hug.

"Good night otouto." She said as she hugged him a little tighter. Ayako let him go and nudged him toward Itachi. Shiro then scurried over to Itachi and gave him a quick hug before briskly walking to his room. "You know, he's pretty affectionate…for an 11-year-old." Ayako commented, tilting her head to the side.

"You were the same way at his age." Sakura said walking over to the table with fresh tea.

"Aa," Itachi agreed as he sipped the jasmine scented brew.

"So…tell me more about your new position." Sakura wanted desperately to know what new and exciting things her children were involved in, and it didn't help that her curious nature sometimes got the best of her.

"As father said, I will be their official bodyguard and escort during their stay in Konoha. If all goes well, the position will become permanent unless Daimyo-sama says otherwise." Ayako replied as she set her cup down.

"That's a pretty important task you have there, Yak-chan." Sakura said. Suddenly, Ayako burst into laughter, small tears rolled down her cheeks as she held her gut. "What's so funny?"

"You just reminded me of the nickname Haruka-sama called Hideki-sama by." Ayako managed through her bout of laughter.

"I want to know!" Sakura pouted with a little lip quiver. Ayako collected herself moments later and looked to her mother.

"Sorry mother, I promised I wouldn't tell." A small smile graced her lips. Sakura and Haruka; the two women were so a like, it was almost scary. They were kind and caring women, but Sakura had a bit of a mean streak, and that was perfectly fine with Ayako. She was half tempted to think her mother was too kind had it not been for her hot temper and incredible strength.

"Ayako, you are aware of the political ties that go along with this mission?" Itachi suddenly asked. Ayako turned her attention to her father and nodded.

"Strengthening the ties between the village and the Daimyo is essential to the survival of both. The clan could also benefit from such ties, and in the best interest of all parties involved; I will do my duty and protect the noble family." She replied as she held up her hands as if to defend herself.

A small smile found its way to Itachi's lips.

"I expect nothing less." He said after a slight pause.

"Well, I'm off to bed. I have an early start tomorrow." Ayako said standing from her seat and moving around the table. "Good night otousan." She kissed Itachi's cheek and moved over to Sakura. "Good night okaasan." Ayako kissed her mother's cheek and hugged her before exiting the kitchen.

"Good night angel." Itachi called after her as she turned the corner.

~xxx~

"Good morning Ino-obasan." Ayako chimed when she stepped into the Yamanaka flower shop.

"Good morning Aya-chan. What can I do for you today?" Ino asked when her best friend's daughter walked up to the counter. "It's a rare treat to see you here, what's the occasion? Do you need another apology bouquet?"

Ayako held up her hands. "I don't think Hyuuga-sama like flowers. But I do need a dozen of your best."

"Poor Riku, I thought for sure he was a keeper." Ino said with a shrug. "Your father is a bit overprotective and Neji has always been a stick in the mud…but that can't be helped. I still can't figure out what Tenten sees in him. Oh well. So, why do you need flowers if their not for an apology?"

"A gift for an important guest," Ayako answered with a smile. Ino's eyes lit up.

"Oh, well now…is this guest male or female?" she grinned as she walked around the counter and started picking flowers.

"It's the noble family actually; I just wanted to get Haruka-sama some flowers." Ino stopped picking flowers and turned to Ayako.

"Then that was your team who escorted them into the village?" she asked with a warm smile. "Your mom told me what you did and how proud she is of you." Ayako blushed and turned her head.

"You flatter me Ino-obasan."

"There's no need to be modest, you did a great thing and the village will be stronger because of it. The village is indebted to you; strengthening our ties with the Daimyo will give us more business and trust in the noble family." Ino said stepping closer to the teenager. "I know you've made your clan proud…your father most of all." She placed a reassuring hand on Ayako's shoulder.

Ayako smiled and nodded her thanks.

"So, tell me about Hideki-sama…other than the fact that he has the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen."

~xxx~

Ayako was still flustered from the third degree she received from Ino when she strolled up to the Kage suite with a beautiful bouquet (free of charge for an exchange of information) in hand. She often wondered why Ino was the way she was but decided that she wouldn't have it any other way. Ino made her feel like a normal teenager and not the heiress to the most respected clan in the village; gossiping, chatting about clothes and boys, made Ayako happy…especially when her mother was thrown into the mix. All three women bonded closer together that way.

She let out a soft sigh as she approached the large oak doors, nodding to the two ANBU guards as she raised a hand to knock. All apprehension left her body as her knuckles made contact with the door. Soft footsteps padded on the other side. The knob turned and the door sung open to reveal Ken standing tall and proud before her. Ayako bowed politely to him as she stepped aside to let her in.

"Dear, who's at the door?" Haruka called from the den. She stepped into the hallway and spotted Ayako immediately.

"I brought a gift." Ayako said with a bow as Haruka walked towards her.

"Arigato, Ayako-chan, they're beautiful." Haruka gushed as she took the flowers and smiled. "Oh, where are my manners? Please come in and have a seat. Deki-chan should be ready soon."

As if on cue, Hideki stepped out of the kitchen and glared at his mother. "Could you please _not _call me that?" he sighed. Ayako fought hard to hide her laughter as they walked into the den and sat down.

"So, do you have any idea where we going today?" Haruka asked standing and walking into the kitchen to put the flowers into a vase. Ayako reached into her pocket and pulled out a map of Konoha. Haruka returned just moments later and looked over Ayako's shoulder at the map. "Oh dear, Konoha is rather large." She spoke in a bewildered tone.

"I've sectioned the village off so you and pick which one you would like to explore. We have all week to do so." Ayako said turning her head to look at Haruka.

"What's this one outlined in red?" Hideki asked staring at the _huge _section with a red mark around it. Ayako turned back to the map and smile.

"That's the Uchiha compound, where I live." She answered and looked up at their shocked faces.

"You walked all the way here from the other side of the village?" Ken asked as he sat back in his seat on the sofa.

"Of course," she answered. "It's not as bad as you think." The noble family continues to stare, clearly in awe.

Haruka was the first to speak. "Well, I guess we can go to this blue section here." She said pointing to a section just to the left of the Hokage's tower. Ayako nodded the stood.

"There's a tea shop in that section that I think you'll like. It's a small café and they serve lunch." She said as a servant walked in.

"Shall I prepare an extra seat?" the young girl asked. Haruka looked at Ayako expectantly. Smiling from ear to ear, Ayako nodded and the servant walked back into the kitchen.

Breakfast was served not ten minutes later. Ayako was surprised to find just how healthy the noble family ate. Fresh fruit, whole grains and milk. Ken had a cup of coffee as did Ayako as they ate and chatted for about half an hour. Once they had finished, the group walked to Tsunade's office to drop Ken off then the trio started their exploration of the blue section.

~xxx~

"Wow, I must say that your village is amazing." Hideki said looking around.

"Thank you, but all praises should go to the Hokage and our shinobi; without them, our village would be vulnerable." Ayako smiled as they walked down the street.

"You're a shinobi too, Ayako-chan." Haruka said waving a finger at her. She nodded in response.

"You're very modest for a shinobi." Hideki smiled. Ayako nodded and turned to face him.

"That's how I was raised." She defended.

"Your parents must be very proud of you." Haruka commented as they continued walking.

Ayako grinned ear to ear. "I know they are they tell me so every day."

"Yo," an unexpected voice greeted as the trio rounded the corner.

"Good morning Kakashi-sensei." Ayako greeted cheerfully. Kakashi had been her sensei when Ayako was a genin and had trained her team until they all became jonin.

"You know, you don't have to call me that anymore. I've retired since you and your team passed your jonin exams." The perverted former ninja said as he looked up from the latest edition of _Icha Icha Tactics. _

"Old habits die hard." She responded with a bright smile. Kakashi was suddenly reminded of Sakura and easily saw the resemblance between mother and daughter. On that note, Kakashi noticed the two people walking with Ayako and nodded his head towards her companions. "Oh! Pardon my manners. This is Haruka-sama and Hideki-sama, the noble family."

Kakashi closed his book and bowed to them.

"This is Hatake Kakashi, my former sensei." Ayako introduced as he shook hands with Hideki and kissed Haruka's hand with covered lips. Yes, old habits do die hard; Kakashi still wore that blasted mask.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hatake-san." Haruka said with a warm smile.

"The pleasure is mine, Haruka-sama." Kakashi grinned under his mask. Haruka almost squealed in delight as they chatted about the village. "Would you like to join us for tea Kakashi-san?" she asked walking down the road arm-and-arm with the former jonin.

"I would be delighted." He answered with a smile and eye crinkle. Hideki could only stare at his mother. He had never seen her react that way toward a man…other than his father of course.

"Does he always make the ladies swoon like that?" he asked Ayako who was staring as well. With a tight nod Ayako sighed.

"I think it's the mask…it must have some sort of mystic power over women who don't know him personally." She replied in a dry tone. "It's either that or it's the magic of _Icha Icha_."

"Yuck…he reads that smut?" Hideki scrunched his face as he turned his nose upwards.

"It's his only flaw…and I wouldn't have it any other way." Ayako said as they walked a good ten feet behind the chatting pair. "Ojiisan has his quirks."

Hideki stopped walking.

"He's your grandfather?" he practically yelled. Ayako nodded once again.

"My mother's parents were killed when she was fourteen; ojiisan adopted her so she wouldn't be all alone." Her eyes grew distant for a moment. "I never got the chance to meet them. I was born six years later."

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" Hideki trailed off. Now he felt like an idiot; all he needed now was for Ayako to start crying to complete his self loathing.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone experiences some sort of loss in their lives; you just have to cope and move forward in their memory." She said and started walking again. Now he was truly amazed. Hideki had this picture in his mind that Ayako was some hardcore work buff that never felt any sort of pain. But he had been proven wrong… twice! (First was when he saw her in Tsunade's office and the second was just now.)

"Deki-chan, are you coming?" Haruka questioned as the trio waited for him to catch up. Shaking his head lightly, Hideki then nodded and jogged towards them.

"Which tea house are we going to Aya-chan?" Kakashi asked once they started walking again.

"Your favorite, Raito's"

~xxx~

The week went by rather quickly for the trio who ended up meeting Kakashi for tea every day…and surprisingly enough, he was on time every day. Guess civilian life can really change someone.

The noble family had everything packed for their trip home but Haruka didn't want to leave. Secretly, Hideki felt the same way.

"I liked having Aya-chan escort us around the village, and tea with Kakashi-san was a lot of fun. Can't we stay a little longer?" she pleaded with her husband. Ken, who had heard their stories about their time in the village, was a little put off by her whining.

"Come dear, you've been having fun all week while I've been in meetings during our stay. I would like to go home." He said as he ushered her to the door, Hideki following close behind. "We'll be back in three weeks and you can run around with Ayako then."

"Your mother will be in that week, I won't be able to accompany you then." She sighed as they stepped out into the hall. Ken had forgotten about that…and was glad he wouldn't be home for it. But there was no way he was going to tell his wife that.

"Don't worry mother, you'll still have Aki with you. Otouto will keep you company." Hideki said straight-faced while he grinned on the inside.

"Oh you two are no fun!" she huffed.

"That's what my mother says about me and my father." Ayako said from the door. She had just arrived and caught the tail end of the conversation. Hideki blinked. Standing next to Ayako were two younger boys. One was about eleven and the other five or six years old and they looked just like her. "My brothers and I have come to see you off."

"Wow, they look like their father." Ken said as he stepped forward and looked the boys over.

"Hello, my name is Uchiha Shiro and this is my otouto, Akito." The older, raven haired boy said with a bow.

"My, so well mannered," Haruka said as she walked up to them.

"Actually, they're still working on that." Ayako said with a grin as Shiro scowled up at her.

"You are so not funny." He growled under his breath.

"You're very pretty." Akito said to Haruka who adored him already.

"Careful there champ, she's taken." Ken said jokingly. He patted both boys on the head and turned to his wife. "Well, we should get going then." Then they were off, heading toward the carriage at the village gates.

"We'll see you next month. Unfortunately, Haruka will not be coming next time." Ken said to Tsunade who waited by the carriage.

"That is unfortunate, at least we'll have the honor for your return as well as Hideki-sama." She said as they shook hands.

Haruka was already in the carriage, waiting for her son and husband, when a small head appeared in the window.

"Aneki wanted me to give you this so you won't forget about Konoha while you're gone." Akito said as he handed her a box. Haruka smiled at him and opened the box to find it stuffed with tea.

"It's the same tea you had at Raito's. Since you liked it so much, I figured you'd like to have some at home." Ayako said picking up her younger brother in both arms.

"That's so thoughtful of you. Thank you Aya-chan." Haruka said with a big grin. Hideki had finally joined his mother at that point and smiled at the pair through the window.

"I'll see you next time Ayako. Bye Akito-kun, maybe we'll see each other next month too." He said with a small wave to Akito. The little boy smiled and waved back.

"Are you aneki's boyfriend?" he asked out of the blue. Blushing madly, Ayako buried her face in Akito's shirt.

"Not that kind of boyfriend, otouto." Haruka and Hideki were laughing at her embarrassment.

"No, Akito-kun, we're just friends." Hideki said then Ken sat down in the carriage.

"Until next time." He said to Ayako. She bowed in return and smiled.

"As you wish Daimyo-sama," the carriage took off after that.

"Congratulations Ayako, you are officially their bodyguard." Tsunade said as her hand clapped over Ayako's shoulder.

**A/N: **Wahoo! There's chapter three. Let me know what you think, k?


	4. Chapter 4

The Beginning of Something

(**A/N: **Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've been busy with a million things at once. Well, enjoy. Oh! You get to meet Gaara's son!)

Hideki and Ken arrived at the village gates with Tsunade, Ayako and the village council to greet them. Though they were tired from their journey, sparkling onyx eyes seemed to have livened their spirits as they smiled at Ayako.

"Welcome back Ken-sama, Hideki-sama." Ayako bowed. They bowed in return and shook hands with Tsunade.

"It's a little late this time, so we'll just have dinner and start fresh in the morning?" Tsunade suggested much to the relief wary and tired travelers.

"That sounds wonderful, Tsunade-sama. Do you have a place in mind?" Ken responded with a grin.

"If I may," Ayako said with a polite bow, excusing herself for interrupting. "I know of a nice restaurant; it's quiet, comfortable and close to your quarters."

"By all means, please lead the way." Tsunade smiled.

It was getting dark quickly, so getting to bed (or in Tsunade's case, grabbing the nearest sake bottle) was the first thing on their minds. But food reigned supreme at the moment, seeing is how they hadn't stopped to eat anything since breakfast. Both men wanted to be as far away from Ken's mother… as soon as possible.

~xxx~

As promised, the restaurant was as close to perfect as one could get. Dimly lit, spacious and it smelled delicious. There weren't too many other people in the building, save a few men at the bar plus their group. Of course it was a restaurant for shinobi, but no one seemed to mind as they took their seats.

"May I take your drink orders?" a young man asked, his handsome face cracked into a wide grin when he spotted Ayako. That is…until Hideki started talking to her. She had turned her gaze from the waiter to speak to the noble son…and it pissed the waiter off as a vein almost popped on his forehead.

"Oh, Tsunade-sama, they do carry your favorite brand of sake here." Ayako chimed, catching the gleam in the blond Hokage's eyes. Tsunade's face broke into a huge grin as she waved the young waiter to her side.

"Waiter," Tsunade commanded in a booming voice. "We need a large bottle of warm Sakoichi and glasses for everyone."

"I don't mean to sound rude, Tsunade-sama… but I'm not of drinking age." Ayako said with a sigh (plus her father would probably kill her… ok, ok, he _would _kill her). Tsunade just huffed and pushed a glass of water in her direction.

"Party pooper…"

Soon the waiter returned with a gigantic bottle of sake and placed it on the table.

"Are we ready to order something to eat?" he asked holding up a pen and paper. Obviously, this boy was not a shinobi. He was tall and lanky with dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and a smile that could rival Gai and Lee. But the way he carried himself spoke of a little work and even smaller manners… especially since he continued to stare at Ayako.

Ayako arched an annoyed brow as she waited for her turn to order. From the corner of her eye she could see him writing on the pad as his eyes zoned in on her chest, with blatant disregard.

"You lack proper manners." A cold voice murmured from behind the young waiter. "If you continue to stare at my daughter like that, I'll make sure the rest of your life will be spent collecting trash from the streets in your underwear." Well, he couldn't threaten the boy's life with the council and Hokage sitting right in front of him, could he?

'_Yes, dad to the rescue,' _her mind cheered as Ayako looked over the frightened boy's shoulder to her father's cool and calm gaze. She smiled softly and moved closer to Hideki to make room for Itachi.

There was a brief pause before everyone started chatting again, as if nothing happened. Ayako leaned closer to Itachi and smiled more.

"Thank you papa, I probably would have said something very un-lady-like."

"Hn." Translation: "no problem."

Playful banter surrounded the group, along with the sake and food. It was like a meeting between a group of old friends as the joked around and shared embarrassing stories. Then the topic of their first jonin mission popped up and Ayako immediately clamed up and frowned.

"Excuse me for a moment." She said as Itachi stood and she scooted out of the booth, walking briskly to the bathroom. Everyone, except Tsunade and Itachi, raised a brow at her retreating back.

"Her first jonin mission wasn't a good one." Itachi explained as he picked through her tempura. And that was all he was going to tell them. The rest was for her to explain when she felt she was ready to. Ayako returned a few minutes later, a small smile on her lips.

"Sorry about that." She beamed when she sat back down.

"You know, that's not good for you." Itachi remarked, pointing to her food.

"Neither is that." She retorted, nodding to his glass of sake. "That is more toxic than this, and besides… if it's so bad then why are you eating it?" Ayako asked as Itachi took another fried vegetable and popped it into his mouth.

"It's better than your mother's cooking." He replied simply. Ayako couldn't argue with that. Sakura had a habit for trying 'new and interesting' things when it came to cooking… which landed Itachi and Ayako a one way trip to the bathroom on more than one occasion.

"Do you want me to make breakfast tomorrow?" she whispered to him with a grin.

"Hn." Translation: "do you even have to ask?"

"Ayako-san tells me that you're quite the chess player, Itachi-sama." Ken said from the head of the booth, eyes shining with a mischievous spark. Itachi took a small sip of his sake before nodding to Ken.

"Hai, I play, though Ayako has beaten me." He responded sending a small glare in Ayako's direction.

"That only happened once and you let me win; you said so yourself." She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head away from him with a huff.

"But I couldn't resist that shine in your eyes when you yelled 'checkmate'." Itachi fired back with a low chuckle.

An elegant eyebrow arched as the two continued to argue playfully back and forth. Tsunade watched with great amusement as Itachi let his guard down for the only other person, besides Sakura, and enjoyed a night away from the clan elders. Even Hideki got a few playful snippets in on their bash fest… and managed to not get hit. Tsunade could clearly see how much Itachi loved his eldest child by that small glimmer in his eyes and soft smile on his lips. But the pride that reverberated in his voice when he spoke of or to her was clearer than any other sign that found it's way through his cold exterior.

Ken stifled a yawn as he tried not to stretch his tired and aching muscles. "Well, ladies and gentlemen, I do believe it's time to hit the sack; I'm falling asleep on my feet." The others had to agree, though Tsunade poured herself another glass of sake and pushed it towards Ayako.

"Just once…for the sake of this meeting, take the damn thing and drink it." She commanded and waited for Itachi to snap. But he sat passively at the edge of the booth, sipping the last of his sake.

"We'll drink this last one together." He stated calmly pushing his cup forward for a refill.

"To hell with it…let's all have one last drink." Ken voiced waiting for the others to object. Surprisingly, Hideki was the first to move his glass forward then the council members begrudgingly nodded, placing their glasses in front of Tsunade.

A mischievous glint passed through Tsunade's eyes as they raised their glasses in the air. _'Ha! The council will be too hung-over to argue at tomorrow mornings meeting.' _Ah, she was quite proud of herself at the thought and figured Ken was thinking the same thing.

"Here's to a new friendship forged here at this table, as well as the bonds of peace and prosperity." Ken chimed tilting his glass in Ayako's direction. "Even the smallest act of kindness can bring great things."

"Here, here." Tsunade agreed as she produced a new cup for herself. As one, the group downed the strong rice wine and slapped there cups on the table. Ayako wasn't fazed by the harsh burning in the back of her throat as she glanced at Tsunade, Itachi then to Ken who all seemed to have had one too many. 

And off they went, Tsunade and the council in one direction and Ayako, Itachi, Hideki and Ken in the other.

"What do you say we get together for dinner tomorrow? I'm sure your wife and sons would like some company." Ken suggested as the group rounded the corner towards the Kage suites.

"Well, Sakura isn't happy unless she can talk to someone new…sure, that's fine with me." Itachi agreed as he looked to Ayako and Hideki who were chatting quietly amongst themselves. His eyes narrowed for a moment but turned his attention back to Ken.

Shortly after that, the tired and half drunk group arrived at the suite and stepped inside. Ken was a little tipsier than they realized and Ayako took it upon herself to make sure he made it to his room… without falling.

Itachi looked over Hideki as they sat in the drawing room, waiting for Ayako to return. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the young man just yet. Sure he had boyishly good looks; what girl in their right mind wouldn't fall for those piercing blue eyes, slightly messy mop of blond hair and heart stopping smile? No doubt Ayako had found the noble boy attractive. But just what really lies behind this good looks and warm charms? Itachi was not about to make any assumptions just yet… he had to get to know the boy first. And seeing as how Hideki was the noble son, Itachi couldn't test him like he normally would any of Ayako's suitors, disheartening as it was. Itachi resolved to do this the hard way and actually talk to him. But that would have to wait for Ayako had returned.

"Well, I guess we should be heading home. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Ayako said walking into the drawing room, stopping next to Itachi. "Be ready to help me shop. I do not trust my mother to cook dinner… especially if she decides to try something new."

"Surely it can't be that bad." Hideki said as he and Itachi stood and walked them to the door. Itachi and Ayako visibly cringed.

"You have no idea." She commented as the door swung open. They bowed to Hideki and made their way home. Tomorrow would prove interesting.

~xxx~

Kakashi turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks. Was that Hideki… carrying groceries? Ayako emerged from a small shop and beckoned Hideki to follow her as she took a bag from one of his hands so she could hold his hand in hers.

"Well now, I never imaged I'd live to see my granddaughter shopping with her boyfriend." Kakashi teased as he snuck up behind them. Ayako spun around and glared daggers at him.

"Not you too; it's bad enough Akito thinks Hideki and I are dating… now you? I must be having a nightmare!"

"Am I really that bad that you would throw a fit about dating?" Hideki said with a pout.

"What? No! Hideki, it's just that we barely know each other…" Ayako trailed off when she caught sight of his smile. "Why you little… you are so going to pay for that!" she turned and stalked off down the road.

"That was a good one… but I'd be careful about what you say when you apologize to her. She may just poison your food." Kakashi warned as they walked after her.

"Would she really do that?" Hideki gulped, turning his head to look up at Kakashi.

"It's possible, she is Konoha's poison expert, after all." He answered with a shrug. "Well, mostly antidotes and figuring out what poison is in effect."

They turned down another road to find Ayako speaking with a blonde haired woman at the flower shop. Well, they had locked themselves in the shop while thirty or so boys banged on the door, begging to go on a date with Ayako.

"Damn fan-boys…" Kakashi muttered as they made their way closer to the Yamanaka shop. "Alright, break it up! All of you have a snowballs chance in hell with my granddaughter, so move it!" but no one budged.

"I do believe he said for you to move out of the way. But if you insist, then I'll have to remove all of you myself." A cold, demanding voice said from the other side of the crowd. Catching sight of the red-haired, white-eyed boy to their left, all of the pleading boys ran like the wind to avoid his sand attacks.

"Long time, no see, huh Hattori-san?" Kakashi said when the dust cleared.

"Like wise, Hatake-san." The redhead responded, turning his attention to the flower shop.

Ino and Ayako stepped out of the shop and looked around, checking for any injured men that they would have to heal but found none. Ayako's eyes landed on her red-haired friend and she smiled so brightly that Hideki had thought that there was something between them.

"Hattori-oniisan!" she cheered running towards him and jumping into his open arms. He spun her around then set her back down before asking if she was all right. Of course she said she was fine before hugging him again. "Come on Hattori-oniisan, there's someone I want you to meet." Ayako beamed then took his hand and dragged him over to Hideki.

Hideki was still carrying groceries when Ayako stopped in front of him and took a few bags in her hands and stepped to the side.

"Oniisan, this is Fujimura Hideki-sama. Hideki-sama, this is Sabaku no Hattori, Kazekage Gaara-sama's son." She introduced as the boys shook hands.

"Ah, so this is the charge Hokage-sama was talking about." Hattori said looking over the young man before him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Fujimura-sama." He bowed low to the noble son.

Hideki bowed in return. "The pleasure is mine Sabaku-san."

"Please, Hattori will be fine." Hattori corrected holding up a hand. "Besides, any friend of Ayako's is a friend of mine." He smiled, placing an arm around Ayako's shoulders.

Ayako looked down at her watch. "We really should get going; I have to start dinner in an hour."

"Well then, we'd better get to the house and get the meat into the refrigerator." Kakashi offered offhandedly.

~xxx~

"So, it seems lucky number seven wasn't so lucky after all." Hattori commented as Ayako filled him in on everything that had happened while he was gone.

"Technically, Riku was number eight… Shin was my first boyfriend, and look how that turned out. Perverted bastard…" her eyes darkened at the memory of the attempted rape but then a smile graced her lips. "But I took care of that problem."

"And rightfully so, no man should ever force himself on a woman. Men like that are pigs and deserve a painful death." Hattori nodded, eyes fixed on the floor. "I still feel terrible about that. I was the one who set the two of you up… I should have seen it coming."

"Don't worry about it. Shin now lives with the humiliation of getting his ass handed to him by a girl." Kakashi responded with a grin under his mask. "What's that boy up to these days anyway?"

Hattori put a finger to his chin. "Still cleaning toilets with a toothbrush… I think. I have no association with him anymore, not after that day."

Hideki was able to put two and two together, so he had a grasp of what they were talking about but kept quiet.

"I thought I'd find you here, Hattori." A calm voice came from the other side of the room. Hideki had to do a double take. The man in the doorway looked like Hattori only slightly older with black rimmed teal eyes. A petite woman stood just behind him. She had dark blue hair and the same pearly eyes that Hattori was graced with.

"Good evening, A-Aya-chan." The woman said with a small smile.

"Good evening, Hinata-sama. Please have a seat; I'll put on some tea." Ayako responded as she stood from the table and moved over to the stove. Hattori introduced Hideki to his parents and they got into a long discussion about politics… much to Ayako's dismay. She wasn't the political type; only found herself in the middle of it.

Not too long after the arrival of Gaara and Hinata, Sakura and the boys returned home from training to find a house full of guests. The table on the patio had been set for twelve with the nice china while Ayako moved about the kitchen. The guests were seated at the kitchen table playing a game of _Uno_ until dinner was served. Itachi and Ken walked in moments later to a full house and delicious smell.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. If you want, you guys can go out on the patio." Ayako said as she tasted a small piece of fish.

"I'll help you. That's a lot of food for one person to place on the table." Hinata spoke as she rose from the table and put on an apron.

"Thank you Hinata-obasan." She smiled lightly then turned back to the stove.

"Why wasn't I told that we were having guests over for dinner?" Sakura demanded when the boys left the room.

"Because you would have poisoned us with your weird cooking and this is a traditional meal. Grandma taught me this recipe." Ayako answered with a small laugh. Mikoto taught Ayako many things before she died, but cooking was by far her favorite lesson with her late grandmother. Sakura sighed.

"Is my cooking that bad?" Ayako didn't answer; she just gave Sakura an incredulous look.

"It's not bad; it's just that sometimes… you over do it."

Outside, the guys were laughing at Akito as he transformed into Naruto and started acting like him while Shiro did the same for Jiraiya.

"That's not half bad… but you two definitely need better role models." Itachi sighed watching his sons run around. Just then, the girls walked out with the food.

"It looks wonderful, Aya-chan." Hideki smiled as she set a heaping plate of grilled teriyaki chicken on the table.

"Thanks," she smiled back. "It tastes good too." She snapped sarcastically then sat down next to him, all in good fun. Sasuke came home then and walked out onto the patio.

"Oh thank god, Aya cooked!" Sakura glared daggers at his comment as he sat down.

"If you weren't my brother-in-law, I'd kill you." That got a few laughs out of everyone.

Seated at the table was Sakura, Kakashi, Ayako, Hideki and Hinata on one said. Sasuke, Shiro, Akito, Ken and Hattori on the other with Itachi and Gaara on the ends of the table, all enjoying the quiet, warm evening.

"You'll have to give this recipe to Tam-san, it's delicious." Ken commented as she shoveled another fork full of cooked cod into his mouth.

"Who's Tam-san?" Ayako asked placing a hand over her mouth to be polite.

"She's mother's personal attendant." Hideki answered, pushing his cleared plate away from himself. Ayako nodded and turned back to her plate.

"Well, I think it's time for dessert." Though she wasn't a sweets fan, Ayako did make a cake for them… and it was Ken's birthday. Ayako hurried into the house and grabbed some smaller plates. Setting them down on the table, she and Hideki walked back into the house, lit the candles and walked slowly back outside.

Ken sat stunned as Ayako set a homemade cake down in front of him while everyone sang happy birthday. He felt like a kid in a candy store as he blew out the candles on the cake. Ken had not expected anything for his birthday… outside of his family, so having a table full of mostly strangers wishing him a happy birthday was a bit much on the odd scale.

"This is from Akito-kun." Hideki smiled handing Ken a small card of folded construction paper.

"I made it myself." The boy chimed with a bright smile. Ken opened the card and smiled. Inside was a picture of Ken, Hideki and Haruka with the Uchiha family all had drawn. On the bottom he wrote, _'Happy Birthday, From Your Family and Friends.' _The boy was pretty damn smart for a six-year-old.

His next gift was in a rather long box. Ken pulled the red velvet bow from the black box and lifted the lid…then closed it immediately. His eyes turned to Itachi and Sakura who smiled softly at his stunned face.

"How did you know?" he questioned softly.

"We had help." Itachi replied, his eyes gliding over to Hideki. Inside the box was a beautifully hand crafted katana. Ken had an extensive collection of swords back home, and loved the samurai's weapon the most.

"A few members of the clan are skilled in the blacksmithing craft." Sasuke commented as he pushed his gift forward. Ken opened the small bag to find a wide assortment of marbles. Who knew the daimyo still liked to play children's games?

Ayako's gift was next. She set a medium sized box on the table and took a step back. Ken lifted the lid of the box and met the bitter smell of coffee beans.

"I know you prefer coffee over tea, so I got you Konoha's best coffee to take home with you." She chimed with a warm smile. Ken stood and turned to Ayako with a wide smile.

"Domo arigato." He said with a bow. Ayako was stunned to silence. Never in her life had she expected someone as important as the daimyo to bow to her. Not sure what to do, Ayako grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Don't thank me… it was Hideki-sama's idea." She shrugged, watching Hideki turn his head and whistle a stupid tune. And for the first time in her life, Ayako felt a slight tug in her chest; like her heart was being pulled in one direction while her body moved in another. Maybe it was the light hitting his gorgeous blue eyes ever so slightly, or the softest of smiles on his peach-colored lips. Maybe it was the fact that he was starring at her so intently.

Well, whatever it was, Ayako was a little afraid of it. She had never felt something like this before… and that's what scared her. Ayako didn't know what this feeling meant. And just as quickly as it had come, the feeling was fleeting; only lasting a few seconds that seemed like an eternity.

It started to rain a little, breaking up the party as everyone grabbed something from the table and made their way inside. Hattori and Gaara decided to help Ayako get the rest of the dishes from the patio (sand does come in handy at time like these). While the girls cleaned up from dinner, the boys went into the den and sat by the fireplace.

"The storm's going to get a lot worse." Ayako commented as she walked into the den, having finished washing the dishes.

"We should head back to the suite, I don't wish to impose." Ken said as he stood. Just then a loud crackle of thunder erupted overhead.

"I'll prepare the guest rooms." Sakura hummed walking off down the hall.

"I'll send Karachi to tell you evening guards that you're staying here tonight." Ayako said making hand signs as she spoke. Once the smoke cleared, a black and cream colored ferret with a Konoha forehead protector wrapped around its neck stood waiting for orders. "Karachi, I need you to go to the Kage suite and inform the ANBU guards that Daimyo-sama and Hideki-sama will be staying here tonight." Another crack of thunder roared with a flash of lightning.

"You want me to go out in that?" squeaked the furry animal as he crossed his arms. "Not in this century."

"Would you prefer I give you wings and throw you out the window… just so you can be struck by lightning?" she glared. Karachi cocked an eyebrow.

"You wouldn't dare…" Ayako was making hand signs while bending down towards the small animal. "Ok, ok, I'll do it! But I want something in return, seeing is how I'll probably get sick from this."

Ayako's eyebrow twitched as she tapped her foot. "All right… you can sleep on my pillow. But I swear to god, if I find you in my hair again, I'll make you ware baby doll clothes for a month." The blue-eyed, pink-nosed ferret scampered out the window after that, leaving Ken and Hideki starring at Ayako as if she had a bird in her hair or something.

Everyone decided to retire for the night after that. Ayako walked around the house to make sure everyone was alright and to be sure that all of the rooms were secure. Just because they were staying at her house, doesn't mean her duties were over. She walked to the last door at the end of the hall and turned the knob.

"Karachi, you filthy beast, get off the bed! You're getting my clean sheets wet." She screeched as she strode into the room and grabbed a towel.

"Well, you did send me into the rain. Puddles get big fast when it's raining hard." He complained, being scooped up into the towel.

"You're a ninja too, deal with it runt."

Sufficiently dry, Ayako set him down on the pillow as promised. She changed into a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a white tank top then climbed into bed.

"Good night princess." Karachi yawned.

"Don't call me that, runt." She hissed then ruffled the hair on his head with her finger. "Good night Kara-kun."


	5. Chapter 5

Not My Day

(A**/N: **For starters; the beginning of this chapter is Ayako's dream! Then it will skip back to the Daimyo's birthday… oh forget it! You'll see it when you read it. Enjoy the show.)

"_Dad, mom, I passed the test! I'm a jonin now!" Ayako shouted as she raced through the halls of the Uchiha main house. At 14 years of age, Ayako followed in her father's footsteps as a prodigy of the Uchiha clan (although she wasn't as gifted as he was at her age). Taking a sharp left towards the trophy room, Ayako skidded to an abrupt halt when the council members exited her intended destination. She bowed politely to them and waited for them to turn the corner before entering the room. _

_Itachi stood next to a rather large display case, all of which belonged to his ill father. His parents had fallen ill a few weeks ago, Itachi worked with the council in his father's stead while Sakura worked to find a cure. Ayako had been told not to worry about her grandparents, but to focus instead on her studies and training. That did little to ease her fears for her grandparents who were always such a strong presence in her life._

"_Papa, I'm home." She announced from the doorway, even though she knew that he knew she was there (aside from her shouting, of course). Itachi waved her over without turning to her as he continued to look over the glass case. He seemed to be troubled by something as she approached him; shoulders slumped in defeat, head hung low and eyes narrowed in concentration. Not at all like the man who would always greet her with a smile, no matter the situation. _

"_Angel," he spoke softly, "how did it go?" she could tell by his distant tone, he wasn't really paying attention to her. Perceptive as ever, Ayako placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, leaning closer to her father. _

"_Daddy, are you alright?" now she was scared. Itachi had turned to look at her and she saw the most unfamiliar look in his eyes; fear. As far as she knew, Itachi was afraid of nothing and nobody. Something was up and Ayako wasn't so sure she wanted to know. _

"_I won't lie to you; they may not make it." He spoke softer than before, no point in sparing her details when tomorrow her grandparents may not be among the living. Ayako frowned and leaned her forehead onto his shoulder. She hugged his arm in support, not sure of what to say. "Don't tell your brothers. Akito wouldn't understand and Shiro would most likely get carried away only to have them make a full recovery." _

"_But they may not?" she whispered softly into his arm. She felt him nod his answer. Ayako let out a shaky breath, determined not to cry as tears stung her eyes. _

"_Do me a favor," he said as he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest. "I haven't cried in a long, long time. Let them fall…and cry for me. I'm afraid I've forgotten how." _

_And just like that, a dam had been released and she cried into his chest. Itachi didn't grieve like others; he didn't grieve at all (case-in-point, Shisui). He learned early that grieving was a weakness, but Sakura changed that. Though he lived with regret, Itachi just couldn't bring himself to feel that kind of emotion for anyone… that is, until Ayako was born. But it had been too long since he felt anything and these new feelings were just a burden that he would have to deal with. _

_After a while, the tears subsided and Ayako wiped the salty substance from her cheeks. _

"_I guess I should tell grandpa that I passed... it'll make him happy." She sighed and took a step back. Itachi admired her conviction to protect her family, like himself. She had to be strong for her brothers just like Itachi had to be strong for their family… and now the clan._

"_Go on now, I'll be here when you get back." He gave a small smirk, letting her know that he was never too busy to talk to her. And so she left._

Her mind flashed to a week later. Fugaku and Mikoto had passed away and Ayako was preparing for her first jonin mission.

_Ayako's bag was packed and sitting next to her bedroom door. _

"_Aya, are you ready?" Riku asked as he knocked on her door. Their jonin team was heading out in an hour and he had taken it upon himself to get her. After the loss of her beloved grandparents, Ayako hadn't been the same. She was quiet now… more so than before. There was a rustling sound from inside and Riku stepped aside as the door swung open. Ayako stepped into the hallway and closed her door as she slung her pack over her shoulder. _

"_I'm good. We should head out, if you still want to have lunch before we go." She commented lightly, walking down the hall ahead of him. If he wasn't mistaken, Riku could have sworn that she had been crying. Her eyes seemed a little puffier than usual, her eyes a little more red. He could have been mistaken…with the funeral just the day before, the entire clan stood in front of the chiseled marble stone, Sharingan ablaze in their eyes; maybe he was seeing things. _

_Riku walked quietly behind her, into the kitchen as she made a trip over to the table to tell Itachi that they were heading out. Itachi gave the Hyuuga boy a stern glare, which translated roughly into 'watch out for her or I'll kill you'. Message received, loud and clear. _

_The trip to their appointed destination was a long, quiet one, not that anyone minded. Ayako and Riku sat by the fire across from Hinato, Naruto's oldest son, and Sasuke, their leader for this mission. Hinato, Riku and Ayako made up team seven…well, the new team seven. Gennosuke had been their third member but he had mysteriously disappeared the year before without a word or a clue to his whereabouts. Sasuke was their acting team captain since Kakashi had retired and would remain their captain until one of the team was able to step up to the plate. _

"_It's getting late, we should get some rest." Ayako commented as she stood. She and Sasuke shared a tent while Riku and Hinato shared the other. But one person from each tent would take watch while the other slept. It was Ayako's idea and a good one at that. All bets were leaning towards Ayako to take the helm. _

_It was four hours into her shift when she felt a familiar chakra signature. She looked to Riku who nodded at her. Activating his Byakugan, Riku was able to spot a figure a hundred yards away and closing… fast. Ayako let out a loud whistle that woke the others as she activated her Sharingan. _

"_Kaze no Yaiba!" the figure yelled. A full scaled assault was launched on the group as wind rushed through the clearing, so strong it cut the tops of the trees, sending them crashing to the ground._

"_Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu," Ayako fired back with the Uchiha trademark 'Grand Fireball'. A harsh cry erupted from the male figure as he took the blast head on. He hit the ground with a thump. _

_There was a pause as they waited to see if the man would get back up, but he remained on the ground…unmoving._

"_Is anyone injured?" Ayako asked over her shoulder. _

"_Yeah, my arm's cut but not bad." Sasuke said as he walked toward her. Ayako nodded and moved over to her uncle to inspect the damage._

"_Riku, find out who it is. We may be able to gather information from the body." She commanded as she looked over Sasuke's arm. It was healed in no time. _

_Riku returned to the group, his complexion had paled considerably. _

"_You may want to have a look." He said to Ayako directly. She had finished healing Sasuke's arm and stood to greet her frightened friend. _

"_What is it?" she questioned as she followed him back to the corpse. He turned the body over, just enough so she could see his face. Brown hair, the familiar scar on his right cheek; it was _him. _She had just killed her best friend._

"_Oh my god…Gennosuke!" she dropped to her knees, clutching her head. Her eyes hurt; they felt like they were on fire. _

"_What's the matter, Ayako?" Sasuke snapped as he rushed to her side. When she looked up at him Sasuke could only stare at the crimson orbs that stared back. "Mange-"_

Ayako sat up with a start; eyes ablaze with… Mangekyo Sharingan, body slick with sweat and heaving gasps to catch her breath. She hadn't had that dream for over a year. Why? Why now? That's when she realized that there was someone pounding on the front door. She heard Itachi walk down the hall, heading for the stairs as she deactivated her Sharingan.

"Princess, its Shizune." Karachi said as he looked out the window. Ayako sighed and looked at the clock.

"It's three in the damn morning! Why is she here?" she said and rose from her bed. Ayako went into her bathroom and washed her face. She returned a moment later and instead of going back to bed, Ayako slipped out of her room and went down stairs.

"Ayako's expertise is required at the hospital immediately." She heard Shizune exclaim from the front entrance. At that, Ayako doubled her pace to her father's side and stopped.

"What's the matter?" she asked the obviously frantic woman before her.

"A patient just came in and we can't figure out what's wrong. Tsunade believes it to be poison. We need you now." Shizune explained in a rushed breath. Ayako nodded as she slipped on her sandals.

"I'll meet you at the hospital."

~xxx~

(8 p.m. the night before.)

The day had been going so well but now, Haruka and Mizuki, Ken's mother, sat by the fire enjoying a nice cup of tea as they watched the rain patter on the windows.

"It's a pity Ken and Hideki couldn't be here. I so miss my son and eldest grandchild." Mizuki said as she took another sip of her tea.

The two women couldn't be more different. Mizuki enjoyed the bitter taste of an aged Earl Grey tea while Haruka indulged in the splendor of her tangerine flavored brew. Mizuki preferred to knit stockings for anyone and everyone while Haruka would rather walk the garden path than be cooped up inside all day. The one thing they did agree on, however, was Hideki's education. Both women knew that he would, one day, have to make alliances with ninja villages, so it was important that he learn of their culture. That also meant he would have to learn how to defend himself like a ninja. Though it is illegal for a civilian to pick up a ninja weapon (except in life threatening situations), there was nothing to stop him from learning Taijutsu.

They got along well enough, but Mizuki never really wanted Haruka and Ken to marry. She has two grandchildren now, so she can't really complain, can she?

"I really wish you could meet Aya-chan. She's a beautiful girl and wonderful shinobi." That got Mizuki's attention.

"A shinobi you say?" asked the seventy-something year old woman, her silver hair falling gracefully on her shoulders.

"Yes. We met her in a small village on our way to Konoha. Aya-chan is our bodyguard and escort whenever we stay." Haruka said with a bright smile.

"How did you meet her?" the older woman inquired.

"We were in the village when this man took my purse." She explained, holding up her coin pouch. "Aya-chan stopped him and brought it back to me."

They were in a deep discussion about the ANBU girl when Haruka started to cough and spit up blood.

"Tam-san…!" Mizuki commanded as she rose from her chair and knelt next to Haruka.

A blond-haired, brown-eyed girl rushed into the room. "Yes ma'am?" she asked as her eyes landed on her mistress.

"Get the doctor, something's wrong." Tam turned heel and ran out of the room and down the hall. Moments later, she and an older gentleman rushed inside and to Haruka's aid. But it was no use; he wasn't able to help her.

"We have to get her to Konoha. Tsunade will be able to figure out this illness." Tomoki spoke as he hurriedly scribbled on a pad of paper. "Send this ahead to Tsunade, Haruka-sama will need immediate care." He commanded to a nearby guard.

Heading out of the palace, Tomoki, Tam and Haruka climbed into the first carriage while Mizuki carried a sleeping Aki into the second. Then they were off; into the darkening depths of the forest.

~xxx~

The letter reached Tsunade hours later. It was well pass midnight as she exited her office. Making her nightly rounds around the village, Tsunade overheard the harsh whispers of someone talking to the guards at the north gate.

"What's going on here?" she demanded as she crossed her arms. Tsunade was tired, cold and in desperate need of a strong drink… thanks to a long meeting with the elders council. So, having an unexpected visitor at her gates was a very unwelcoming end to her day.

"Hokage-sama, I bring news from the palace. Fujimura-sama is ill, our doctor couldn't help her, so she is on her way here." The runner said as he handed Tsunade the letter. She read it over and nodded.

"Kotetsu, take the messenger to the Kage suite for the night. Izumo, keep the gates open, we're expecting the rest of the noble family within the hour. Escort them to the hospital while I ready the medical staff." She commanded then turned heel and stormed off to the hospital.

~xxx~

Ayako arrived at the hospital only minutes after leaving her house, on the other side of the village. She had seen the carriage outside and was dreading finding out which of the noble family was sick. The young Uchiha girl stepped through the doorway and was greeted by a nurse. Ayako took the clipboard from the young flustered nurse as she rattled off the condition of the patient.

"Stop blabbering and tell me exactly what is going on! We cannot afford to waste time here." Ayako snapped while the nurse took a deep breath. She had been stuttering and pausing during her explanation which thoroughly ticked the Uchiha off.

"She has rapid build up of fluid in her lungs, there also seems to be internal bleeding." Miki said, running a hand through her short brown hair. Ayako gave her an incredulous look.

"All that stuttering for that simple of an explanation, what had you so worked up that you couldn't just tell me?" Miki short a glare at Ayako.

"If Tsunade-sama wasn't so edgy, I wouldn't be s-s-stuttering!" she defended, shrewdly pointing her finger toward the E.R. Ayako nodded and flipped to the next page.

"I have to speak with the family before I start working; tell Tsunade I'm here and that I'll be right in." Miki took off running. "This is a hospital; walk!" Ayako called after the girl.

Ayako walked into the waiting room and padded over to the small group of people in the room.

"Is Haruka-sama alright?" the first question short out before anyone could be addressed.

"We won't be able to help her until I get some information first." She responded with a small nod.

"And whom might you be?" asked an elderly woman who cradled a small boy in her arms.

"I am Uchiha Ayako, poisons expert." There was a long pause.

"Do you believe that Haruka-sama was poisoned?" an older man asked.

"That's why I was summoned. I'm here to discern whether or not she had been poisoned." Ayako answered as she turned to address the man behind the couch. Switching gears, Ayako sat down in front of the older woman. "Ma'am…"

"Mizuki, you may call me Mizuki." Ayako smiled at that.

"Mizuki-sama, can you tell me what happened? The more you can tell me, the faster we can diagnose her illness."

Mizuki seemed to think for a while before answering the question. "We were talking about you, actually," she said with a small smile. That was a surprise to Ayako. "Then she started to cough. There was some blood in her mouth then we came here after Tomoki tried to help." Ayako scribbled furiously in the comments section as she listened to Mizuki speak.

"Did Haruka-sama have anything to eat or drink before she started coughing?" she asked, looking up from the clipboard.

"Yes, Tam-san made tea for us." Mizuki answered, turning to look at Tam. Said girl sat weeping on the couch with her head in her hands.

"I only made her a cup of tea, had I known it was poisoned, I wouldn't have served it." She wailed into her palms.

"Calm down Tam-san." Ayako cooed as she moved over to the girl next to Mizuki. "Tell me about the tea. What kind was it? Where did it come from?"

"It was a gift." She sniffled, looking up into onyx eyes. "It was a gift from the grass daimyo." Ayako nodded and stood, preparing to head to the E.R when Tam's hand shot out and grabbed hers. "Wait!" she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bag. "This might help. I brought it with me, in case you might need a sample."

Inside the bag were herbs…tea herbs that carried the faint scent of tangerine.

"Thank you Tam-san, this will definitely come in handy." With that, Ayako walked off to the E.R.

~xxx~

"It's about damn time you showed up! I have no idea what kind of poison this is." Tsunade yelled as Ayako closed the door.

"Miki, take this to the lab and tell them I want the results now! Don't let them give you any crap, get it done." Ayako commanded as she tossed the bag over to Miki in the corner. "The rest of you, if you're not doing anything constructive…get out."

"What brought about this change?" Tsunade asked as she and Shizune worked to keep Haruka cool.

"When someone decided to poison my friend's mother." She answered, walking over to the bed to better assess the situation.

Tsunade sat back to watch the master at work. Well, Ayako was the most experienced person in the room that could deal with the current situation. Poison had never been Tsunade's forte, so teaching her last two students all she knew about that topic…well; let's just say that those were the shortest lessons they ever had.

"Until the lab results come in, the only thing we can do is keep her cool and start extracting the toxin." Ayako said after she examined Haruka's condition. Ayako used the same bubble technique Sakura used on Kankuro all those years ago, and began the extraction process.

"That's an odd color for a poison." Shizune commented as the milky-colored fluid filled the vial in Ayako's hand.

"We can determine the type of poison by its color." Ayako commented as she looked over the vial.

Tsunade sat down in the corner of the room, taking careful notes of Ayako's actions and words as she scribbled in short-hand what Ayako said.

"This type attacks the vascular system, most likely through inhalation."

"How can you tell?" Shizune piped up from the heart monitor on the other side of the bed.

Ayako handed her the vial and pointed to the substance within it. "It's more cream in color. Probably made for a powerful opponent that they user didn't want to get too close to."

"How does it work?" Tsunade asked from the corner, eyes trained on the young Uchiha girl.

"I don't know what poison it is but I have my suspicions." Ayako answered, lips pulling into a grim line. This did not look good.

"Please, do tell." Tsunade coaxed, pen at the ready. She definitely needed to learn more about Ayako's expertise.

"Well, from the information I've gathered from Mizuki-sama and Tam-san, this is either a rather potent dose or Haruka-sama is allergic to the tea that put her in this condition, causing the poison to take drastic effect." Ayako said with a nod. "We should also test her for allergies, just in case, and get Tam-san a bed."

"Why should we get Tam-san a bed?" Shizune asked as she placed another ice pack on Haruka's head.

"The poison is an inhalant; Tam-san prepared the tea, therefore, she had come into close contact with the poison as well."

Just then, Miki came back with the results.

"The techs said that this is rare, even for Konoha."

"What is it?" Tsunade demanded as she stood.

"Thorn Apple…but that can't be right." Ayako was baffled. "Start treatment immediately. It just so happens that we have the antidote here."

After another three grueling hours, Haruka opened her eyes.

"My stomach hurts." Her voice was hoarse from coughing, dry and scratchy. Shizune promptly forked over a glass of water.

~xxx~

Ken and Hideki sat with Mizuki while Aki sat on the floor playing 'Go Fish' with Akito and Shiro. Itachi stood by the window, looking out into the busy streets. Light flooded into the waiting room, casting its warm glow onto Sakura, who sat in the chair next to him, lightly dozing in and out of sleep.

Ayako rounded the corner and stepped quietly into the waiting room. Hideki was the first to notice her as he stood to greet her.

"Aya-chan… is she alright?" he asked as everyone turned their attention to her.

"Haruka-sama will make a full recovery. If you want to see her, she's been moved to a private room. Follow me please." Everyone moved at once. Little Aki scurried to Ayako's side and took her hand.

"My daddy says he trusts you, so it's ok for me to walk with you." The six year old smiled up at her. Aki was a spitting image of Hideki, with a chubby face and the same gorgeous blue eyes to boot.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Aki-kun. I bet you and my otouto, Akito-kun, will get along just fine." She said with a smile.

"I like Akito-san; he's a lot of fun. He told me he starts at the ninja academy today." Aki said with a grin.

That's right, he starts today… and she completely forgot. Ayako felt like an idiot now and she promised him she'd be there.

'_Hopefully I can get out of here in time.' _She thought then stopped at Haruka's room. Ayako opened the door and let Aki go in first then held the door open for the rest of the noble family. "I'll leave you alone so you can have some family time." She stepped into the hall and was immediately bombarded wit questions from Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune.

"Let's talk in my office." Tsunade announced as she practically skipped down the hall.

"This is so not my day."

~xxx~

"I can't believe she figured it out. I thought your poison was so potent that even Tsunade couldn't fix it." Snapped the blond; not only did the plan fail but now they had to report their failure to Leader-sama.

"She wasn't the intended target. The daimyo was supposed to drink the tea; not his wife." The redhead responded dryly.

"This does put a damper on our plans." The blond sighed as he stood from his perch on the opposing building. Both cloaked figures were shrouded in the shadows of the roof's water tower. "Now we have to wait for word from Leader-sama."

"I hate waiting."

**A/N: **You have to thank No-Idea-For-A-Name for this last little bit with the Akatsuki. Your comments helped! Thanks! Now, don't miss "Lurking in the Shadows" or you will miss all the Akatsuki action!


	6. Chapter 6

Lurking in the Shadows

(**A/N: **Alright, there's going to be some Akatsuki action in this chapter with some Hideki/Ayako smitten intermixed. Enjoy the show…and if I fuck up something, don't be afraid to tell me.)

~xxx~

"So, the wrong person was poisoned and lived…is that what you're telling me?" Pein asked, his grey-ringed eyes shining maliciously at his two subordinates.

"Yes Leader-sama." Sasori answered fully expecting their leader to blow his top any second now.

Pein shifted in his chair, interlacing his fingers as he propped his elbows on the large mahogany desk.

'_Here it comes…' _he thought and was completely wrong.

A devilish smirk graced Pein's lips.

"The poisoning was merely a test for the girl, to which she passed. Continue observing her movements, who she runs with. One can never be too careful when going up against an Uchiha." Pein sneered as his smirk widened minutely. "Now, tell me what you've learned about Uchiha Ayako."

Deidara grinned manically as he pulled out a scroll. "We made a copy of her existing records, yeah," he said while unrolling the parchment. "Though most of it is rather boring, un." Deidara handed the scroll to Sasori and took a step to the side.

"Uchiha Ayako, member of ANBU squad one, top poisons expert and medic. Former member of genin, chunin and jonin team seven; other members: Uzumaki Hinato and Haruno Gennosuke. Haruno-san was replaced by Hyuuga Riku after Gennosuke's disappearance almost four years ago." Pein needed a little clarification.

"Wasn't that Gennosuke kid Orochimaru's last lab rat before the traitor was killed?"

Sasori nodded his head, red hair swaying with the movement. "Yes, and it seems that Ayako was the one to have killed Haruno-san during his mission under Orochimaru."

"That's enough. Leave the report on the desk." Pein said with a wave of his hand, the white of his ring gleaming in the ominous dark. "Sasori, I have a mission for you. Deidara, you and Kisame will return to Konoha and keep an eye on my prize."

With that, they were dismissed.

~xxx~

Caught between a rock and a hard place, that's where Ayako was. Trying desperately not to doze off and pay attention…but the debriefing was taking too damn long.

"…And so, everything is fine and Fujimura-sama will make a full recovery." Tsunade finished with a small smile. The elders had been worried about the condition of the daimyo's wife and had requested to know when she was well. Tsunade turned her attention to the half asleep Ayako and nodded. "Please, tell us more about this poison."

"You'll have to excuse me; I'm suffering the effects of the extraction." Ayako said as she rubbed her eyes and stood.

She bowed to the elders and gave a nod to Ibiki, who stood quietly in the corner with is arms crossed and eyes closed as he leaned against the wall. By no means was she afraid of the master of interrogation, no, he was her mentor…much to Sakura's dismay.

"The poison comes from the interior of the Land of Stone. Thorn Apple is extremely rare and is designed to destroy the lungs through inhalation. This type of poison is normally slow and extremely painful but since Haruka-sama was allergic to the tea, the poison affected her quicker than normal." Ayako said as she rubbed her arms…the room was a bit cold for her tastes.

"The servant said the tea was a gift the grass daimyo…why would he do something like that?" Ibiki asked as he shifted his position on the wall, uncrossing and then re-crossing his legs.

"I don't believe he did." Ayako said with a sigh. "I was told yesterday by the daimyo himself that he and Lord Takeshiro have been allies for the past twenty years."

"That still doesn't explain why the tea he gave them was poisoned." Tsunade interjected as she laced her fingers together. "Do you have any ideas?" she asked Ibiki.

Said ninja pushed himself off the wall and stood next to Ayako. "I'm not paid to wonder where it came from; my job is to _find out _exactly where it came from."

"I'll take that as a no." Tsunade said then turned back to Ayako. "Do you have some thoughts you would like to share?"

Ayako nodded. "I don't see a reason why Lord Takeshiro would do such a thing and I don't believe Haruka-sama was the intended target."

"What makes you think that?" one of the elders questioned from across the room.

"As the noble family's bodyguard and personal escort, it is my duty to know as much about them as possible. Anyone who knows Ken-sama personally knows that he prefers coffee over tea." She stated matter-of-factly. "And the tea was addressed to Ken-sama himself, suggesting, to me, that the original package was tampered with if not completely replaced during transport."

Tsunade and Ibiki were nodding at her reasoning.

"Is there anything else?" Tsunade asked, leaning back in her chair.

"Yes, I have taking the liberty of asking Ken-sama for the inventory list of the delivered merchandize. If I may, I am requesting that the matter be handled by Morino-san and my self to quickly pinpoint where everything went wrong."

"Request granted, but only for Morino-san; you have enough to worry about at this point in time. You may join the investigation when and if he sees fit. You are dismissed."

Stepping into the hall, Ayako sighed.

"Sometimes I think I care too much for my own good." She whispered.

"Sometimes _I _think you care too much for your own good." Ibiki said as he clapped a hand over her shoulder. "Go home and get some rest; you look like shit, kid."

Ayako smiled. "I feel like shit but my duty still stands; I must get to the hospital and look after the noble family." She responded as they started walking down the stairs.

"Hey, isn't the induction ceremony today?" Ibiki smirked as Ayako stiffened and stop walking.

"Shit! I have to go, later Ibiki-san." She ran down the rest of the stairs, scaring the crap out of anyone in her way as she raced to the academy. Thank god they were next door to each other.

~xxx~

"So, what does this girl look like so I know her when I see her?" Kisame asked as they stalked down the road. Disguised as traveling salesmen, Deidara and Kisame easily slipped into the village without incident and were now looking for their target.

'Babysitting' is what Kisame had called this mission because Pein had given them strict orders to watch the girl.

"Oh, she's your type: tall, fair and breathtaking, yeah. Trust me, you know her when you see her, un." Responded the blond…well, brunette.

There, rounding the corner was Ayako, running as fast as humanly possible towards the academy. Something big was going on, for the ninjas at least. The villagers didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary but they did part like the Red Sea as Ayako came charging down the street.

"You were right…she is my type." Kisame grinned as he began to follow the girl. Deidara grabbed his arm.

"Are you crazy, yeah? We could be discovered if we go in there, un." Kisame gave up on his chase…he'll find her later, that much was certain.

~xxx~

"Right on time, with a minute to spare," Sasuke teased as Ayako came to a screeching halt next to him and her father.

"Yeah, not my fault so cut the crap, ojisan." She hissed back as she tried to catch her breath.

"Is everything alright?" Itachi asked from behind, worry evident only to anyone who knew him.

Ayako turned and beamed up at her father. "Everything will be fine; Ibiki-san will be looking into it." He nodded at her answer and turned to lead them into the assembly room.

Surrounded, Ayako was completely surrounded. Some people she knew and a hell of a lot of people she didn't. Glancing around the large room, she couldn't see her youngest brother.

'_Duh, search for his chakra…idiot!' _she berated herself as she focused on finding her dear Akito. Standing in the corner all by himself was Akito looking just as lonely and alienated as Ayako felt. Ayako's heart broke for the boy; being an Uchiha wasn't what it was cracked up to be.

He had no friends, no one to talk to and worst yet, Ayako was nowhere to be seen.

'_She promised, she promised she'd be here…' _Akito repeated in his mind as his eyes scanned the crowd of unknown faces.

"It is a little hard to find you when you're hiding in the corner and behind chairs." A calm voice said. Akito looked up into his sister's onyx eyes and immediately smiled.

"You made it!" he cheered loudly as he hugged her leg tightly.

Ayako smiled down at him. "Of course I did; I wouldn't miss this for the world." She bent down and hugged her baby brother. "Are you ready to give your speech?" This year it was required that new pre-genin give a small speech about themselves so they could get used to speaking in front of others, also so that the other pre-genins could get to know their fellow students a little better.

Akito sighed. "I guess so…" he said with a frown.

"Well, someone doesn't look too happy." Another calm voice said. Hideki needed to get out of the hospital, so he and Aki came with Sakura.

"Hi Hideki-sama, is Aki-san with you too?" the boy asked with a new light in his eyes.

"I'm here!" answered Aki with a grin as he stepped out from behind Hideki's leg.

"See Akito, you have a friend. Now, it's time for you to get in line. We'll be seated out front." Ayako said as she patted him on the head. He nodded in return and scampered off to wait with the rest of his classmates.

The trio then walked over to Itachi, Sakura and Sasuke. Shiro was already seated, chatting quietly with on of his friends. Of the three Uchiha children, Shiro was the most out going of the bunch. Ayako was the soft-spoken, powerful prodigy (with a hint of malice, might I add) and Akito was the shy/secluded type; three totally different personalities for the three loving children.

Finally, it was time for Akito to give his speech. God, he looked so nervous standing up there with a small piece of paper in his hand.

Sakura leaned over and whispered in Ayako's ear. "He's been practicing his speech all week, standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. You are going to love it, Yak-chan."

"Could you please stop calling me that?" she whispered back having heard Hideki snicker. Focusing her attention on her brother, Ayako gave him a small, encouraging wave.

Taking that as his cue, Akito began his speech.

"My name is Uchiha Akito of the noble Uchiha clan. I enjoy training, reading books and playing chess with my father. My hero and role model is my older sister, Ayako. She has taught me many things but the most important thing she taught me was to be open to others and to be honest to myself.

"Though she can be mean at times…" that earned a snort form members of the crowd. "Ayako has always been caring and understand. I'm probably giving away her darkest secrets…but I know she loves me and our family and one day I want to grow up to be just like her. Thank you."

Applause rang out from the crowd as Ayako stood and walked over to Akito. For a moment they thought she was mad…that is until she smiled and pulled him into a hug. Completely red from head to toe, Akito let himself be scooped up into her arms and put his arms around her neck.

"I love otouto." She said with a grin.

"I love you too, aneki."

"Now he's done it," Shiro sighed from his seat. "He's gone and inflated her ego."

The pair moved off the small stage ad took their seats so the others could have their turn.

~xxx~

They were seated at a small shop, enjoying a warm cup of sake before they started their search again. Kisame grumbled and Deidara sighed. Things could have gone better.

For starters, the assembly let out and the Uchiha family split into factions. Itachi and Ayako led the noble sons down the road, passed the shop while Sakura, Sasuke, Shiro and Akito headed toward the Uchiha compound, legions of clan members branching off in other directions. Their target was easily lost in the crowd.

"Well damn! How many Uchiha's are there?" Kisame hissed as he stood to get a better view.

"It certainly doesn't help that most of them have dark hair, yeah." Deidara agreed, looking in the other direction. And they couldn't take the risk of searching for her chakra; you find chakra, you must use chakra which would make them sitting ducks for ANBU.

"Look for the blonde dick they had with them." Kisame offered, his head snapping from one end of the road to the other.

"Bingo, yeah," Deidara said, pointing to the pet shop. Akito stopped to look at the dogs in the window. They started to follow slowly after the boy only to stop when Ayako knelt next to him.

"He is cute." She said to the boy. "Come Aki-kun, we'll stop by again after we eat." They heard Aki give a small sigh, watching him turn away reluctantly and take her hand.

"Uh…can't the Sharingan spot genjutsu?" the taller of the two asked. Deidara gave a nod in the positive. "Fuck…"

"Is it time to call on the kid, yeah?" asked the blonde as they watched their target walk away.

"Sure, he needs the exercise…if he wants to be one of us."

Deidara gave a wicked grin as Kisame turned tail and walked around the corner.

"Come on Blondie, his house isn't too far from here." And like ghostly wraths, Kisame and Deidara disappeared into the shadows of the buildings.

~xxx~

"So…Yak-chan huh? That's a nice name." Hideki said teasingly as the group sat down in a booth.

"It's not as bad as Deki-chan." She shot back with a grin at the scowl that appeared on his handsome face.

"Don't worry about Hideki-sama. Mothers have the habit of nicknaming their children." Itachi said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Did obaasama have a nickname for you, otousan?" Ayako asked with a smile. Itachi gave a nod. She waited…and waited. "Well, are you going to tell me?"

"No." His answer was simple and final. Ayako gave a small pout but left it alone. She knew better than to press his buttons on a subject.

Changing the topic, Hideki sat up straight to address Ayako.

"When you think mother will be released?" there was a hint of worry in his voice that Ayako easily picked up on. With a small smile, she leaned forward.

"She will stay over night for observation. But more than likely, she will be released by tomorrow afternoon."

"Aniki, let's get mommy some flowers." Aki said as he stuffed his face with pancakes. It was a really good idea.

"Alright, to Yamanaka's it is. Now, let me see your face Aki-kun, you're covered in whipped cream." Ayako said as she picked up a napkin and gently grabbed his chin with her slender fingers.

Hideki was suddenly thrown through a loop. Visions of Ayako cleaning the face of a dark-haired, blue-eyed child swarmed his mind. A rush of color hit his cheeks as he continued to watch Ayako and Aki interact.

'_Jeez, we're not even dating and I'm already envisioning our children? What the hell is wrong with me?' _he asked himself and could find no answer.

Itachi was glaring, as if he could read the mind of the young man sitting across from him. By no means was any man getting near his daughter, even if he was the daimyo's son. Just then, Hideki tore his gaze away from them and looked at Itachi…and his angry crimson eyes.

"Hideki-sama, care to play a game of chess later?" he asked his voice as cold as ice. Hideki gulped. He really didn't like the vibe Itachi was giving off…and what was with his eyes?

Testing the waters, Hideki nodded. "Of course Itachi-sama, that would be nice."

"Hn." Translation: 'nice is not what I have in store for you dear boy'.

Ayako shot her father a glare that translated into: 'go easy on him or I'll…'

Itachi gave her a glare of his own. 'Or you'll what?'

A smirk graced her lips as a twinkle gleamed in her eyes. 'Or I'll tell mom.'

Itachi glared harder. 'You wouldn't dare.'

Ayako's smile grew as she gave a small giggle. 'I would and I will.'

"Hn." Translation: 'fine, you win.'

Hideki looked back and forth between the two, apparently they agreed on something.

~xxx~

'_Goddamn hospital, Goddamn mission, goddamn brute…' _and the complaints just kept coming as Kyoji made his was down the overly clean hallway. All he wanted to do was go to sleep after his shift of guard duty ended but _nooo. _

Kyoji had been instructed to go to room one and that's where he was going when he spotted Ayako walking down the hall with Hideki and a young boy.

'_Oh, just fucking perfect…' _the one person he was looking for was on duty with her other mission. Truth be told, a lot of Ayako's friends and teammates rather be treated by her than someone else. Kyoji heaved a sigh and stepped into his appointed room.

"What the hell happened to you?" an all too familiar voice said from behind. Kyoji turned sharply to find Ayako leaning against the door frame. For a second all he could do was stare.

"Oh…um…my kid brother got a little carried away and well, I think he broke me." He gestured to his swollen arm. Ayako moved into the room and motioned for him to have a seat. He did so without question.

Ayako gently lifted his arm and focused her chakra over the lump on his forearm.

"And just what the hell were you guys doing? It looks like he smashed it with a rock." She said as her chakra delved deeper to fix the problem.

'_More like the foot of a seven foot tall man…' _he thought with a grimace. "We were training and he got angry. Something about his girlfriend and liking one of my friends." He explained watching her hands work their magic. "Hey, why are you treating me? Aren't you on duty right now?"

Ayako looked up from his arm with an odd look on her face. "Would you rather me do it or have your ex, Miki, brake your arm clean off?" Enough said. Not long after that, Kyoji emerged from the room with his arm in a sling and a new goose egg on his head. Ayako stormed passed him and headed toward Haruka's room.

Miki rushed over to a fuming Ayako as Kyoji exited the hospital.

"That bad huh?" she asked her friend as Ayako practically threw the file at another nurse.

"The next time I see him, I'll _kill _the grabby bastard." And with that, Ayako walked away, leaving her anger at the door as she entered the private room.

Kyoji returned to his apartment and to his unexpected visitors.

"Well, spill it kid." The taller of the two grumbled.

"I got it. Quit your bitching." Kyoji snapped as he reached into his pocket and produced a key. "There's almost always someone at home. Your best bet is to wait until the festival starts."

"When's that, yeah?" the other asked with a grin. God, Deidara could be such a kid at times.

Kyoji looked at his calendar. "The day after tomorrow, security will be tight around the compound but at least no one will be in the main house."

"You did good kid. We'll put in a good word with Leader-sama for you." Kisame grinned. Now they could get into the house without alerting suspicion. Soon they'll have the information they need and then the target could be captured. Fun, fun…


	7. Chapter 7

Interruption

(**A/N: **I would like to take the time to thank all of my reviewers. Your words of encouragement are a true inspiration. Thanks again. Now, in this chapter…you'll just have to wait and see. Enjoy…)

~xxx~

Haruka was a little tired but she managed to choke down the horrible hospital food without much complaint. God, she couldn't wait to be out of the hospital and in warmer clothes. There was a knock on the door and in walked Ayako with a duffle bag.

"Hello Aya-chan." She said with a huge grin.

"Good morning Haruka-sama, I have a couple of things here for you." Ayako greeted as she walked over to the bed side. She opened the bag and pulled out a number of items. "I thought you'd want to shower before you were discharged…so, I brought you a change of clothes and some toiletries."

Haruka was genuinely surprised at her thoughtfulness as she looked over the items in the bag.

"That's so kind of you to do this for me…but what about my clothes? Can I at least take them home?"

"I'm sorry Haruka-sama but we had to burn them. The tea had soaked your clothes and with the chance of you getting sick again, we couldn't risk it." Ayako answered with a frown. Haruka nodded in understanding, though she wore a frown of her own. "I'll let you do your thing. If you need anything, there's an ANBU outside. I'll be back after I give Tam-san her bag of goodies."

~xxx~

Hideki arrived at the hospital with his brother, father and grandmother. Haruka was going to be discharged, and after yesterday's…episode, things between he and Ayako were starting to change. He wasn't sure in which direction things were going, but he was curtain that it was good.

Mizuki walked into the room first to find Haruka sitting in a chair while Ayako instructed Tam on how to make the perfect French braid.

"Well now, I wasn't expecting this." She said with a warm smile. "Hospitals turned into hair salons…who would have thought?" the women smiled at her as she crossed the room and sat on the bed.

"Hey Yak-chan, isn't there a festival tomorrow?" Hideki asked from the doorway.

Ayako turned an icy glare in his direction and his handsome smiling face.

"Yes there is…_Deki-chan_. The spring festival starts tomorrow night." She shot back and smiled when he hissed in disapproval of the nickname.

"That's not funny." He said to the women giggling before him while Ayako smirked and crossed her arms, having finished with Haruka's hair.

"No, not funny," Ayako started as she collected the items off the bed. "It's hilarious Deki-chan."

"That's not cool." He responded hotly, face flush in embarrassment.

"It's only fair; you did call me…by my nickname." Ayako refused to repeat the ridiculous name her mother gave her. It literally made her feel like cattle.

"Ok, ok, let's call a truce. I won't call you by your nickname if you don't call me by mine. Deal…?" Hideki said as his hands flew up as if to defend himself.

"Trust me…if this was war, you wouldn't be standing right now. But…I guess a truce can be arranged." Ayako said with a smile.

The three bystanders were at a loss. They could have sworn –were they flirting?

"Why don't you two make up nicknames?" suggested Aki as he walked into the room with Ken.

"That's a splendid idea." Mizuki said, clasping her hands together. Oh dear god, this could only end in disaster!

"Alright, let me see…" Ayako looked Hideki over, eyes gliding over his lean figure to his handsome face…and those amazing blue eyes; the most amazing shade of topaz she'd ever seen.

One word came to mind; gorgeous, but she couldn't say that. Then her gaze traveled to his lips that were quirked slightly upwards, revealing dimples in his cheeks. They gave him a boyish quality that made her stomach do back flips.

"I'm not waiting all day Aya-hime." Hideki said impatiently as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh no, you didn't just say what I think you did, wrinkles." She fired back with a glare. And there you have it…the dreaded nicknames were born. Laughter erupted from the people around them. The pair glared at each other but then started to crack up.

"I smell carrots." A tiny voice said from one of the bags in Ayako's hand.

"Karachi, is that you?" she searched through the duffle in her hand and found the black and cream ferret sniffing a shampoo bottle. "That's not something you eat, Karachi." Ayako smiled as she picked up the critter and pulled him out of the bag.

"It smells good though." Tam, Haruka, Mizuki and Aki were staring at the small animal as if it had extra legs and arms. Karachi looked around the room and leaned toward Aki. "Hey, he looks like wrinkles. What's your name kid?" Hideki glared daggers at the animal.

Poor Aki, he was so scared of the talking ferret that he jumped behind his father's leg and refused to move.

"It's all right Aki; he's not going to hurt you." Ken assured patting the frightened boy on the head.

"You promise?"

"Akito-sama and I play hide-and-seek all the time. Maybe you can play with us later, Aki-sama." Karachi said as he wiggled in Ayako's hand, trying to get a better look at the boy. Aki peered from behind Ken's leg and nodded.

"May I pet you?" One small step for Aki, one giant leap for Karachi; the weasel wasn't much for interacting with strangers but he had a soft spot for kids.

"Heck, you can hold me if you want." Aki was a little unsure at first as he reached out and gently stroked Karachi. His confidence grew as Karachi leaned into his caressing fingers.

"Aki-kun, do you want to hold him? I'm going to need both hands." Ayako asked, watching the boy's face light up as he nodded vigorously. Karachi climbed his way up onto Aki's shoulder and the group headed out from there.

~xxx~

Kyoji waited as patiently as possible but wasn't having much luck.

'_Maybe she slipped out the back…' _he thought, leaning against the pillar outside the hospital. Mission details: locate and infiltrate the noble party, report back with sufficient information.

"Hey wrinkles, don't forget about the chess match against my dad tonight." He heard her say as the group emerged. Ayako was dressed for comfort, wearing the Uchiha trademark high-collared shirt with a pair of long tan shorts and her normal sandals, hair pulled back and rolled into a semi-neat bun.

"Yo, Ayako-san, do you have a minute?" fan-fucking-tastic! Great, just perfect, not only was Ayako with the noble family but it seems they all shared in her distaste of him. They all glanced in his direction and scowled. The world was not kind; Ayako stomped toward him with a menacing glare in her obsidian eyes.

"What do you want, letch?" clearly, Ayako was _trying_ to restrain her anger. Kyoji held up his hands in defense, shielding his handsome face as he eyed her through the small space between his arms.

"I was wondering if you wanted to train today, but I can see you're busy. I-I'll just go home then…" something startled him. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't beaten him to a bloody pulp yet or the calculating look in her dark eyes. Well, whatever the hell it was, Kyoji really didn't want any part of it…except he was on a mission and he had to deal with her, one way or another.

"Give me a second." She said before turning her back on him and walking back over to the noble family. Whispering back and forth, the noble family and Ayako struck a deal of some sort. Kyoji had no clue what they agreed to, he was too far away. Then Ayako was striding back in his direction, a smug look plastered on her face. "Training field 42 at 2:30…be prepared to have your ass handed to you."

'_What the hell have I gotten myself into now?' _

~xxx~

What was supposed to be a training session had quickly turned into a spectacle beyond compare.

Ayako stood on a branch, cool as a cucumber while Kyoji panted, lying on his back. He hadn't been able to lay a hand on her nor did she actually hit him. All of his injuries resulted from Ayako moving out of the way or pushing Kyoji off balance. The noble family had come along with Ayako and her father, wanting to see the young lady in action. Itachi was there merely to make sure no one got carried away (though he too wanted to kick the crap out of the boy on the ground).

"Have you had enough or do you wish to keep embarrassing yourself?" she asked with a smirk. Kyoji grunted, rolling over onto his stomach. He couldn't feel his fingers anymore, that's how hard his hands were clinched as he slowly, rose to his feet.

"I'm not finished with you yet. Get down here and fight me, DAMMIT!!" he spat. Suddenly, he was eating dirt as his arm twisted painfully behind him.

"You will watch your language around the noble family." She stated matter-of-factly, her eyes glowing bright crimson. "Do I make myself clear?" she twisted his arm just a little more to make her point.

"Yes Uchiha-sama, loud and clear." He yelped then Ayako let him go.

"Class dismissed." She hissed then walked away from him.

"You were holding back." Itachi stated as he handed Ayako her water bottle.

"Hn." Translation: 'he isn't worth the effort.' Father and daughter were more alike than most people cared to admit.

"That was totally amazing Aya-chan!" shouted an overly excited Aki as he rushed toward her. Karachi followed behind the young boy as his eyes wondered over to the slumped figure by the trees.

'_Deserved everything you got…moron.' _He thought as he climbed back onto Aki's shoulder. "Nice moves there, princess. Next time let me help."

"I am perfectly capable of defending my own honor, thank you vey much." She snapped back then sat down to fix her sandals.

"Aneki, aneki, can we go swimming?" Akito asked as he charged toward his sister, hope shining bright in his onyx eyes. She smiled up at him.

"Does anyone else want to go swimming?" there was a nod from Hideki, Ken and surprisingly Hattori, who just happened to show up with Akito and Shiro. Shiro shook his head no but decided he would still go with them.

"I-I don't know how to swim." Aki responded, lowering his head.

"Don't worry, aneki can teach you. She taught me how to swim." Akito smiled at his new friend. Now Aki was smiling, beaming his beautiful blue eyes in Ayako's direction.

She nodded and stood. "All right, let's get changed and go."

~xxx~

The lake was as clear as crystal, shinning a magnificent blue that Ayako now related to Hideki's eyes. The group had arrived and had grown in number. Ayako held Aki's hand in her right and a number of beach items in her left. The young boy was a little intimidated by the sheer size of the glistening clear water but did his best to be brave.

Behind them was Hideki, Shiro, Akito and Hattori while Sasuke, Sakura and, surprisingly, Itachi walked just a little farther behind. Mizuki, Haruka and Ken walked with the trio, talking about the history of the clan, though not much was given away.

Laying out the items they brought, Ayako and Sasuke got everything ready on the hot spring day. Really, it had been unusually warm so far and a little dip was just what they needed. Both families were ready for a much needed vacation, but circumstances just didn't allow time for that. So, this 'mini vacation' would have to do.

"Wait for me Aki-kun; we can't have you getting hurt." Ayako hollered as she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a crimson one-piece bathing suit. Having borrowed a pair of blue swimming trunks from Akito, said boy waited patiently at the water's edge for his swimming lessons. Ayako stripped herself of her tan shorts, showing off her muscular yet shapely legs and washboard abs as she kicked off her sandals.

Hideki turned his head from her as he tried to control the heat rising to his cheeks. He and Hattori set down the cooler and removed their shirts and pants, making their way into the water as Ayako took Aki's hand and leading him into the lake. Sasuke and Shiro started to build a sandcastle, determined to beat their record of a six foot tall sand monument. Akito had swam off on his own with Karachi for a bit of turtle hunting.

Sakura, Haruka and Mizuki positioned them selves on the dock, sitting with their feet in the water as Itachi and Ken swam out and into the deeper section of the lake. Hattori and Hideki took up residence at the end of the dock, not really swimming but, rather, enjoying the cool, relaxing water as they stood and chatted.

"How long have you known Ayako?" a tentative question if Hattori ever heard one.

"All my life," Hattori answered as his eyes wondered over to his lifelong friend and small boy. "Our mothers were friends when they were younger. They still are."

"Your mother was a leaf kunoichi?" well, that came out a little harsher than intended but Hattori didn't seem to mind.

"Yes. She and my father married to strengthen the alliance between our villages." He turned to look at the slightly younger teen next to him. "It wasn't easy at first but they made it work for the sake of the alliance…and now, I do wish I had siblings." Hattori laughed. "Ayako is like a sister to me and the boys are like my brothers, so I guess it works out; getting to see them every so often."

Hideki was nodding at the red-haired teen. "It must be hard, being a shinobi I mean. Going off into some unknown place where danger lurks around every corner and not knowing if you'll make it back alive. Leaving family, friends and all those you hold dear behind so that the village will be safe." He said as his eyes scanned the waters. "That's a tough decision to make." Hideki's eyes wondered back over to Ayako and his brother, who was doggy paddling around her. It was a sight that made his heart flutter with pride as his brother smiled ear-to-ear at his accomplishment.

Hattori's gaze followed Hideki's. "You like her…don't you?" Hideki nearly jumped out of his skin at the question.

"I think Itachi-sama has it in for me but…yes, yes I do like her." Hideki nodded.

"Well," Hattori started, "you have my seal of approval. You just have to convince Itachi-sama that your intentions are true. Otherwise, you'll end up like the rest of her…unfortunate boyfriends."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you're aware of what happened to Ayako?" at Hideki's nod, Hattori continued. "Ever since then, all of Ayako's suitors have been…tested, and if they do not meet Itachi-sama's standards, they are deemed unfit to date Ayako. No one has passed yet and it seems no one will."

"What kind of test are you talking about?" he ventured, not entirely sure he wanted to know.

Hattori let out a soft sigh. "A taijutsu fight. If you can land one hit, you pass." Hideki's eyes bugged out, almost popping out of their sockets; mouth agape in utter shock. Hattori snorted softly. "Don't worry, you're the noble son…he can't touch you, even if he wanted to."

"Aniki look! I'm swimming!" Aki shouted making the women on the dock and both teen boys turn their heads in his direction. Ayako let of his waist and Aki slowly made his way over to Hideki. A smile bloomed on Hideki's face as Aki inched toward him. Moving around Hattori, Hideki held his arms out as a target for his younger brother. Once Aki made it to Hideki, he was promptly hoisted up and into the air and spun around as Hideki gave a grateful smile to Ayako.

"All right Aki. Good job my boy." Ken hollered from the middle of the lake where he and Itachi sat on the floating dock.

"Hey Aki, I caught a turtle. Wanna see?" Akito chimed as she swam with one hand above his head.

"Akito, what have I told you about catching turtles?" Ayako asked as she turned to her brother who was swimming up behind her with Karachi on his head.

"Don't worry princess; it's not a snapping turtle." The weasel responded who definitely looked like a drowned rat at the moment, paws planted firmly on the boy's head.

"We should go catch toads sometime." A voice said from the hill.

"Hinato…!" Ayako shouted as she hurried out of the water and toward her longtime teammate. They hugged for a long time then grinned at each other –the pranksters were back together. Two-thirds of team seven was reunited after months of missions; if only for a brief moment.

"Hey, Sasuke-tem…err…Sasuke-_san_, you and Ayako are to be dressed and in Hokage-sama's office in ten minutes."

"What? What about my duties here?" Ayako asked as she looked back at the noble family. By now, Itachi and Ken had made their way back to congratulate Aki when Hinato arrived.

"Tsunade-sama split your duties between Riku and me. He'll be here later and tomorrow morning and I'll be taking them to the festival if you're not back by then." Hinato answered as hit 10,000 watt smile began to fade. "You should really get going, she said it was urgent."

Ayako turned heel and grabbed her towel and sandals then ran over to her mother, giving Sakura a kiss on the cheek before turning to Itachi and doing the same thing.

"Sorry everyone, but duty calls." And just like that, Ayako and Sasuke disappeared, rushing into the trees.

~xxx~

Squad one and four hunter ninjas set out not twenty minutes after they reached Tsunade's office. There had been a report of an attack on an incoming caravan, supposedly the Suna ambassador's caravan. Kankuro was supposed to have been in Konoha early that morning and when he didn't show, Gaara began to worry. Now with the possible attack on the Sunian caravan, things were starting to strain the Kazekage's patience (which was in short supply from the very beginning).

Seven hours into their journey, the Konoha shinobi came across four cloaked figures beating back Suna jonin and ANBU. The group split into two teams; Ayako going with the hunters while the rest of squad one swung around and flanked the attacking group.

Using an earth jutsu, Ayako easily slipped into the middle of the action and pulled the injured to safety.

"Seriously, why are there four of us when we only need one to take out this bunch?" asked a white haired male as he kicked a Suna ANBU, sending him back a few feet. Something grabbed his legs. Looking down, he saw a blue and white cat mask and a red wolf mask sinking into the ground.

"Here piggy, piggy…" the one with the white mask said, her tone was strained yet very feminine.

"Oi, oi, oi, Kakuzu, help me out over here!" He shouted to the man standing not ten feet away.

Said male, turned in his direction and shook his head.

"Hidan, you really are a fucking idiot." The man said as his red/green eyes trailed to the ground that the ANBU's hands had just disappeared into. Directing his web-like appendages into the ground, Kakuzu smirked under his mask as his hands grasped the two ANBU and yanked them from his partner's feet, and was sorely disappointed when they disappeared with a _poof _when they emerged from the ground.

Suddenly, Hidan went flying; crashing hard into Kakuzu as the same cat mask came barreling toward then only to disappear in the blink of an eye. Hidan and Kakuzu soon found themselves surrounded by hunter-nins.

On the other side, Sasori found the antics to be just above annoying. First off, he wasn't in a good mood to begin with. What with having to wait almost a week to attack. Second, reinforcements just showed up and they were a hell of a lot better than they had anticipated. Glancing to his left, Sasori could see that Zetsu wasn't happy either.

"Fuck this. I'm not waiting any longer." He said, moving his fingers in an intricate manner. His puppet rocketed forward and scooped up Kankuro's limp form from the ground before Ayako could reach him. In fact, she had just reached out a hand to him and the damn puppet snatched him from her.

"Kankuro-sama…!" she screeched in surprise, watching him be dragged out of reach. Before she knew what was happening, Zetsu had come up behind her and pulled her the rest of the way out of the ground. She disappeared in a flash, leaving behind a log in her place.

"This one is smart…**but not smart enough.**" Zetsu commented as she spun around, clipping her mask with his arm. The mask tumbled to the ground, revealing angry crimson eyes.

"Mangekyo Sharingan…" she seethed as the large pinwheels around her pupils began to spin. One second they seemed to be in a deadlock and the next, Zetsu was on his knees writhing in pain. Ayako sent him flying towards Sasori while the rest of the team worked to pin the rest of them in a tight circle.

A lone seagull flew overhead and the cloaked men looked up, minus Zetsu.

"We're retreating." Kakuzu commented as he took Kankuro from Sasori. Hidan bent down and picked up Zetsu. Then all five of them disappeared.

"My team will go after them, your team will help the caravan to the village." The mission captain said. He was tall man that Sasuke figured was Kiba.

"We need to send a runner to get the medical staff on standby." Ayako said as she picked up her mask and put it back on, her back was to the group. She just had to have the misfortune of showing her face to the enemy. Fuck!

Sasuke was nodding at their comments. "Alright, I'll leave them to you. Blue, run ahead; Tsunade-sama must know about this. It seems they got what they wanted." Kyoji bounded away with a small smirk under his mask.

~xxx~

Sasuke and Ayako returned home at three in the morning, just after the festival. Neither one had spoken a word since leaving the debriefing at the hospital. Gaara had been furious, not at them but at the Akatsuki. He and his council members were planning on returning to Suna at dawn, claiming that they needed to be back in Suna to direct his forces in finding his brother.

The duo slunk into the house to find the kitchen light still on. Itachi, Hideki and Ken were playing a game of cards while Hinato slept on the couch in the adjacent room. They set their packs down by the door and entered the kitchen, faces solemn as Itachi stood to greet them.

"What happened?" he asked as he reached for the sake, knowing instinctively that something had gone wrong.

"Kankuro-sama was taken." Sasuke answered as his eyes shifted over to Ayako, who sat with her head down and hands in her lap. Not a peep left her lips as she reach for the sake and poured her self a large shot. She downed the shot with little regard to the burning in the back of her throat.

Finally, she spoke. "The hunter team will find them. The Akatsuki may be fast, but they can't out run hunters that went after them just after the attack and the second team on the way." She hissed, slamming her cup on the table. "Plus, a hawk was sent to Suna. They've sent their own team to head them off."

"Then why are you so upset?" Itachi asked as he say back down and poured another glass for his brother, daughter and their guests who sat quietly on the other side of the table; card game long forgotten.

"I was right there. He was just within reach and they dragged him away." Ayako whispered tears stinging in her eyes. She felt like she had just lost Sasuke to the same men; like how she felt when she killed Gennosuke, dirty and horribly alone.

The group downed another shot and decided to call it a night. But sleep would not come so easily to them, knowing they were missing someone important to them.

**A/N: **So, what do you think? Leave a comment if you like it or even if you don't. All same thing, made in Taiwan. Lol.


	8. Chapter 8

From The Shadows and into the Light: All Hell Brakes Loose

(**A/N: **Thanks for sticking with me and reading my bundle of joy here. In this chapter…a mission has gone wrong and lands Ayako in a very unwanted situation. This is a darker chapter, just so you know as are the next few chapters. Enjoy!)

~xxx~

Ayako woke up with the early morning sun in her eyes. Her curtains were drawn to show the magnificent front walk to the Uchiha main house.

'_Funny…I remember closing them before I left for my mission.' _She thought then brushed it off as one of Sakura's ways of waking her up. Speaking for her mission, Ayako had to meet the Suna caravan before they felt. She knew they were still in Konoha because she could feel Hattori's agitated chakra signature downstairs.

Slowly crawling out of bed, Ayako headed for the bathroom to take a quick shower. She had been so out of it last night that she wore her uniform to bed; having only kicked off her sandals before curling under her blankest. Despite the hot water and bright sunlight of this ungodly hour, Ayako felt cold, alone and ashamed of herself.

'_If only I had been a little faster, Kankuro would still be here…and they wouldn't have seen my face.' _She chastised herself and her abilities as a kunoichi. She really hated herself right now and thought Gaara and Hattori hated her too. Though Hattori was an understanding man, he never failed to defend his family, no matter the situation. And…he hadn't spoken to her when they were at the hospital nor did he even look in her direction. Not that she was paying any attention; too busy beating herself up over the entire ordeal. Gaara was a completely different story; easily angered and never willing to forget.

The shower did little to calm her nerves and though she was clean, a small part of her could still see the blood on her hands. Some of it had been _his_. Her mind wouldn't let her forget when she morphed through the ground and appeared next to Kankuro. She had braced her right hand on the ground; right in the middle of Kankuro's pooling blood. He had weakly reached out to her…then he was gone, leaving her outstretched hand grasping the wet dirt where he once lay.

By now, Ayako was sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her forehead and sobbing hopelessly as the water started to turn cold. There was a knock on the bathroom door but Ayako paid no attention to it. She just pulled her legs tighter to her chest.

"Aniki, are you ok?" a tiny voice asked from the other side. Still, Ayako paid no mind. Soon his chakra had dissipated from her room and down the hall.

~xxx~

Akito ran down the stairs; Ayako would always talk to him, no matter what. He figured something had to be really wrong for her to just not speak. And she was crying to boot. Yeah, something was definitely wrong with his sister. Jumping the last three steps, Akito made a b-line for the kitchen. If anyone could talk to Ayako and get her out of her room, it was his dad. Skidding to a halt at the kitchen door, Akito struggled to catch his breath as he scrambled over to Itachi and grabbed his hand.

"Dad, Ayako is in her bathroom crying and she won't come out. She didn't even talk to me." Whined the youngest Uchiha as he pulled on Itachi's arm. Without saying a word, Itachi rose from his seat at the table and glanced over at Sakura, who stopped cooking when Akito entered the room. With a small nod, Itachi left the room soundlessly and headed for the stairs. Hideki and Ken hung their heads, knowing why Ayako was crying while Hattori sighed and sat down. He too, felt horrible about what happened but he didn't blame Ayako for it.

Itachi opened the bathroom door and found Ayako sitting in the shower; she had sense enough to turn off the water when it got too cold. Now she was shivering and sobbing with a towel wrapped around her shoulders.

"Ayako," he said softly causing her took look up at him. Eyes red and puffy from crying, bottom lip clinched between her teeth to keep her sobs quiet. She looked nothing like the powerful kunoichi he knew her to be, but the lonely five-year-old he remembered from years passed. Itachi knelt next to the tub and gently stroked her hair. "Why do you cry?" he asked.

Ayako let out a heart wrenching sob as she buried her face in his chest.

"I-I wasn't fast e-enough and they t-took him. He was in-injured and they just took him." She whaled into his chest as he listened to her. "I was inches, _inches _away and I let him s-slip through my fingers."

"It isn't your fault." He said softly as he reached for another towel and put it over her head. "No one blames you for what happened." Ayako looked up at him and sniffled.

"But…" she began, effectively being cup off by Itachi's large finger to her lips.

"It _isn't _your fault." He commanded just a little louder than before. Then a small smile slid across his thin lips. "Ita-chan…" he whispered to her.

Ayako stared at him for a moment as he held her face in his hands. "What?" she asked softly.

"My mother used to call me Ita-chan." She snorted, trying to keep her smile from showing. Then she laughed; loud and hard, the sound easily made its way to the people downstairs. They let out a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

"I should get dressed." Ayako commented when she stopped laughing. Itachi wordlessly stood and nodded. "Thank you papa." She said softly, as if afraid to admit she needed help. Itachi bent down and planted a small kiss on her forehead then left her to dress.

~xxx~

"So, what's the journal say, yeah?" Deidara asked as he sat on the couch.

"It's a bunch of medical crap that I can't make out." Kisame said as he closed the book and stuffed it in his cloak. The duo had successfully gathered the information their leader needed and picked up the notebook as a bonus, hoping to get something useful from it.

"It's high time we contacted Leader-sama, un."

"Yeah and if you would be so kind as to tell me why exactly the others were after the ambassador," Kyoji commented as he scowled at the two men in his apartment.

"That's Akatsuki business and since you're not in the Akatsuki, you have no say in the matter." Kisame's large form stood from his seat and towered over the teen.

"Not yet, but when I am, I won't have to depend on your fish-ass to fill me in." The brunette fired back with a vengeance.

"Watch how you talk to me kid, or I swear on all that is holy, I'll gut your scrawny ass like a fish." All the while, a mantra played in the Kiri-nin's mind; must not kill free labor, must not kill free labor…

"Face it Kisame, you need me to get close to her or you'd have to do this shit all by yourself. Oh wait, I forgot…she can see through your genjutsu!" And with that, Kyoji stormed off to his room and locked himself in.

"If you don't kill him, I will, yeah." Deidara said with a growl, his one blue eye narrowed at the boy's door.

"Care to bet on that?" Kisame's reply came with a snarky grin.

"Four bottles of sake and two hookers sound good to you, yeah?"

"I think I'll need more sake but I'll take that bet, Blondie."

"Alright, let's get this over with, un. Sasori no Danna will be pissed that we've taken so long, yeah."

~xxx~

Five images flickered in the dark room, atop the fingers of the twisted Buddha statue, meeting the piercing stare of the Ren'negan.

"Where is Zetsu?" Pein asked with a growl.

"He's still suffering the effects of what the girl did to him." Sasori said as he tilted his head to the side, no emotion held in his voice. Pein seemed to be amused at his subordinate's misfortune but nodded nonetheless.

"And of our acquisition?" he asked as his eyes turned to Kakuzu.

"We'll be at the prison in a few hours." The red-eyed nin responded with a nod.

Pein smirked, things were going smoothly. A new image flashed to the right of Pein.

"Captured and secured Leader-sama." She said before he could even ask.

"Very well, Kisame, Deidara, pull out of the village. An ambush will be best suited for the situation. Remember, we need her alive." Pein instructed while glaring at Kisame, who tended to get carried away sometimes. "Kakuzu, secure our guest and return to base with Hidan. Sasori, I want you to tell me everything that happened with my prize." Meeting adjourned; the rest of the Akatsuki members went about their business and missions while Pein and Sasori discussed the recent events concerning one Uchiha Ayako.

Lurking in the deepest recesses of the base, one member smirked in a devilish manner; all things considered, soon he will have everything he needed.

~xxx~

Ayako was dressed and in the kitchen in less than ten minutes. Even though Itachi said it wasn't her fault, Ayako still felt overwhelmingly guilty and it showed in the way she carried herself. She walked at a slower pace, feet shuffling under her with her head hung. Even her hair was left down, bangs shadowing her puffy, red eyes.

Akito was out of his chair and hugging her waist in a flash, burying his face in her abdomen.

"Are you ok now, aneki?" he asked as he looked up at her. Ayako gave a small smile and nodded. Akito beamed in return, grabbing a hold of her wrist in both of his hands and leading her to the table.

"Aya-chan, why were you crying?" Shiro asked from his position across from her.

"It's nothing you should worry about otouto." She responded as she ate breakfast.

Hattori didn't say anything, preferring to talk in private.

"We should probably get going. Father doesn't like to wait." He said as he and Ayako rose from their seats.

Ayako turned to the noble family and bowed. "I'll be back soon. I must see Kazekage-sama off." Then they left, walking silently out of the house like ghosts through a wall; quiet and unaware of the eyes on their backs.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Hideki asked, breaking the silence, yet his gaze never wavered from the door.

"She just needs time." Itachi said as he glared at his plate. He hated to see Ayako like that, lost and sad like a puppy that had just been scolded for peeing on the carpet. Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, though she didn't say anything the worry in her eyes told the tail.

~xxx~

It was quiet, too quiet. Hattori didn't know what to say. When Akito had charged into the kitchen that morning practically balling his eyes out that Ayako was crying, Hattori understood her pain.

"We don't blame you." He said nonchalantly with a smile…but that smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Slowly, Ayako's hand reached up and took his.

"I know…I just feel awful about it." She responded as she hung her head. Hattori let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You did the best you could…they were just a little faster." He whispered to her as they walked toward the main gates.

"Did they tell you who took him?" she asked quietly, obviously, the question was intended for only him to hear.

Hattori's eyes narrowed to slits, mouth pulling to a thin line. "They did." He spat heatedly as his grip on her shoulders tightened. There was no love lost between the Sabaku family and the Akatsuki, and with the knowledge that Akasuna no Sasori had taken another member, Suna could not afford to sit back and wait any longer.

"I'm sorry Hattori, I truly am. If only I had been a split second faster, he's still be here." Ayako said, trying to hide her tears by turning her head away from his intense gaze.

"How many times must you be told that it wasn't your fault?" a harsh voice chided from behind. In a flurry of motion, Ayako wiped the tears away and turned to face the man behind her. Gaara stood with his arms crossed, a dark glare set on his handsome features as he walked toward the pair. Quickly, she bowed and spoke a soft greeting to the Kazekage.

"I'm sorry Kazekage-sama." She spoke quietly, fearing his temper may explode any second now. To her relief, Gaara rested one large hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Sasuke told me everything, there is no need to apologize." He said with a hint of pride in his voice. For a long time now, Gaara had seen Ayako as a surrogate daughter since he and Hinata couldn't have another child. "You did all that you could," Gaara continued. "And I believe you will bring him back."

Ayako looked up at Gaara, confusion obvious in her onyx eyes.

"I requested that you be sent with the rescue team. At the end of the week, you will head out with Hinato's team to bring back my brother." He said with a rare smile. A smiled bloomed on her face, one only seen when she was with Itachi.

"Thank you Gaara-sama." She gushed as she hugged the sand user with all her might.

"It's nice to see you're all doing fine but as it stands, there's a lot of work that needs to be done." Tsunade's booming voice rose over the small giggles and soft smiles. Yes, that's right, they had work to do. Ayako pulled back from Gaara and nodded.

"You can count on me. I will bring him home." She said with a fierce determination shinning in her eyes.

"We believe in you, Ayako. Never forget that." Hattori said as Tsunade made her way to the trio.

"In light of our current situation, I need stronger captains, better equipped to deal with the Akatsuki." Tsunade said as she handed Ayako a medium sized box. "Congratulations…captain."

Ayako was stunned to silence.

"W-what?" she finally managed, tearing her gaze from the brown box in her hands.

"You heard me. Now get going, you're still on duty." The blonde commanded with a smirk as Ayako beamed up at her. With a nod, Ayako turned and said goodbye to Gaara and Hattori before bounding off back home.

"Are you sure she's ready?" Gaara asked as he watched Ayako's retreating form hop from roof to roof.

"Sasuke and Ibiki gave her rave reviews. She's ready…more than ready." Gaara and Hattori both cringed at the mention of Ibiki's name. The man was scary, terrifying to be exact, and he was Ayako's mentor. God only knows what he taught her.

Back at home, Ayako sought out to find Itachi. Her latest achievement would put a smile on his face…seeing is how she caught the glare he gave his plate that morning.

"Dad, I have some news." Ayako said, trying to hide her excitement. Itachi looked up from his paperwork and gave her a small smile. Sitting next to Itachi was one of the council members. A burly man with glasses, on of Fugaku's childhood friends, who was also her third cousin. "Hi Gansu-san, how are you?"

"I'm fine Aya-sama, how are you today?" his rich baritone asked with warmth all too familiar to her.

"I'm better now." She answered with a smile.

"That's good to hear." Itachi said as he pushed the papers off to the side. "So, what's got you in such a good mood?" he had never seen Ayako smile as brightly as she was right now, laying a brown box on the table and popping open the lid.

"I got a promotion." There was a pause as the all too familiar wolf mask came into view. It was definitely the real deal. The wolf was a standard issue for all captains.

"That's great news." Gansu said as he stood and walked around the desk to Ayako's side. Ayako was beaming as she closed the box before they could go digging through it and 'accidentally' finds her mission scroll.

"Congratulations Angel, I'm very proud of you." Those were the words he rarely ever spoke in front of other people…other than Sakura and Ayako, of course. "When's your first mission, captain?" oh, he just had to bring it up, didn't he?

"When the noble family leaves the village, we'll escort them to the fork then head out from there." Ayako said as she picked up the box and tucked it under her arm. "I have to get back to my duties; I'll see you guys later." She bowed to them and scampered out of the room, grinning like a madman.

~xxx~

Paying tag was a lot more fun than he remembered. Hideki, Aki and Akito ran around the large backyard, trying not to get caught while trying not to trip. Yeah, Hideki was having a lot of fun. But his mind would wonder back to Ayako and the events of the early morning.

Speaking of Ayako, she was standing by the door to the backyard, watching the boys run around like chickens with their heads cut off. There was a smile on her lips like none that he had ever seen before and he stopped and stared at her; a tiny smile lining his own. Suddenly, he was hit below the knees causing him to tumble forward…much as he did just over a month ago.

And like before, Ayako was there to catch him.

"You really are a clumsy buffoon, wrinkles." She said with a smile. Their face was just inches away; so close that their breaths mingled between them. "Are you injured?"

Was it hot? Sure, Hideki had just been running around with the boys, but nothing compared to the warmth radiating from Ayako's hands. Damn, it was really hot.

"I-I think I'm ok." He stuttered as a rush of color flooded his cheeks. Ayako gave him a warm smile.

"Come on Aki; let's leave the _love birds _alone for a while." Akito snickered as he and Aki ran into the house.

The pair paid no attention as Ayako led them to a bench and sat Hideki down. Her hands began to glow green with healing chakra as she looked over his right ankle…which he had sprained…again. Hideki watched in fascination as her hair side from behind her ear and fell in her face, blocking her view of his ankle. Before he knew what he was doing, Hideki's hand swept forward and caught her hair between his middle and index fingers. Moving it to the side, he met her gaze; a gaze that held surprise, confusion and something else.

"I…uh…I like your hair down; it's very soft and beautiful." Well, if that didn't kill the mood…he was sure she'd hit him. But she smiled at him.

"Thank you." She said softly and returned to her work.

Sakura, Haruka and Mizuki watched from the kitchen window. All three women had seen the boys run in the house, now they were jam-packed at the kitchen window, holding their breath.

"Please don't let Itachi see this." Sakura whispered aloud as her hands clasped her chest above her heart.

"See what?" a monotone voice said from directly behind her. It was too late, she noticed. One second he was behind her and the next, Itachi was walking toward the couple in the yard. Sakura's eyes snapped shut.

"Please don't hurt him. Please don't hurt him." She repeated praying to whatever god was listening. To her surprise, Ayako had started laughing. Her eyes shot open and she flung herself toward the window, trying to make out what they were saying.

The rest of the day, Sakura watched closely for any signs of hostility coming from Itachi. They were subtle but still there. She was proud of her husband, trying his best to not interfere but the temptation was still there. After all, it's only natural for a father to look out for his daughter.

~xxx~

The last three days of their stay had flown by in an instant…well, that's how Hideki felt about it. They had celebrated Ayako's promotion and then Aki's birthday. By the time they were packing up to leave, Ayako and Hideki were inseparable. This was also Ayako's first mission as captain. She had left her house early to meet with her team. Unfortunately for Ayako, Kyoji had been sent to her team to balance it out.

As a weapons master, he was valuable but he sucked at genjutsu and his taijutsu left a little something to be desired. And he made it into ANBU? Jeez, the guy was a hopeless flirt and was thwacked in the head by more than one member of her team. Hinato was her second in command…because they've been working together since they could walk. Then there was their tracking specialist, a tall man named Kin. And finally their communications specialist, a young woman named Ami.

The team spent the better half of the morning going over their plan of attack. After they left the noble family, they were going to meet up with the hunter teams and fan out. Ayako had a lot banking on this mission, which could define her career. The underlining mission goal: Kankuro comes home no matter what.

Ami was stationed up front with Kin, Hinato and Ayako where on either side of the carriages and Kyoji brought up the rear. The other two members of her team were surprised by the relationship their captain had with the noble family. Normally it wasn't allowed for shinobi to converse with the noble family. But since Ayako was still _technically _on bodyguard duty, it was allowed. And they addressed her as 'Crimson-chan' which they had figured they had to have known from the beginning.

What had been a peaceful journey thus far turned to suspicion in the blink of an eye. Ayako had been chatting with Haruka and Mizuki when she stopped in mid sentence. Motioning for the two women to keep talking, Ayako slowly brought a hand up to the receiver and spoke quietly.

"Two bogies, ten o'clock northwest, one has incredible chakra and the other is about average." She said, scanning the trees for signs of movement. There were four affirmatives in her ear.

"Plan of action?" Hinato asked noticing the forest had gone deathly quiet.

"Blue, recon but stay within sight of the caravan incase there's trouble. Fang, you'll cover the rear."

"Yes, captain." Said men chorused and jumped into action. Kyoji took to the trees and Kin hopped over the caravan to the last wagon.

"We're going to loop back to Konoha; the noble family cannot be put in danger." But it was too late. A loud cry erupted from the forest and then a resounding _boom. _A huge column of smoke rose from the trees, spreading out and heading toward the road.

A figure came rushing out of the dust, but it wasn't Kyoji. Black and red came into view and Ayako acted on instinct, throwing herself in front of the carriage; effectively blocking the man from the noble family. The man's gigantic wrapped sword came crashing down on her, but Ayako was able to block it with a short sword. Ayako's leg snapped out and connected with the man's chest, sending his skidding across the dirt road.

"Don't stand there and gawk; get them the fuck out of here!" she snapped, refocusing her attention to the man in front of her. An explosion ripped through the caravan, blowing up one of the unoccupied wagons but the explosion pitched the noble family's carriage to the side, making it tip to one side. Being the closest to the window, Hideki was thrown from the carriage, landing hard on the ground.

Hinato to the rescue! The boy grabbed hold of the carriage and yanked hard, bringing the carriage back down on all four wheels. In a split second, Ayako was next to Hideki, dragging him to his feet and pulling him into the forest.

"Everyone, get back to the village. Make sure the daimyo and his family make it back safely. I'll take Hinato and Hideki the forest route." She growled over the headset while running with a stunned Hideki in tow.

"He's gaining on us." Hinato said as he came up on Ayako's left. A large bird flew overhead as they whipped through the foliage. "Shit…the other one followed." He hissed taking his gaze from the one above to the one behind.

"Split up and circle back. They obviously want Hideki, they'll follow me." But the order was never carried out. The man behind them sped up and nailed Hinato in the back, sending him crashing to the ground. Ayako turned to Hideki and pulled him close. "Hold on tight." The stunned boy only nodded as she picked up the pace.

They were getting closer to the village; Ayako could see the gates just a hundred yards away and ANBU teams heading in her direction. She turned her head to see the man behind her. Finally, she was able to get a clear look at him. Blue skin and hair, sharp teeth behind a menacing sneer and the familiar black and red cloak of the Akatsuki raced toward her, and he was beginning to gain speed.

Suddenly, a blonde was in front of her, blocking her escape and her rescue. She had no choice but to fight…but then there was Hideki to think about. Ayako looked between the two men as she came to a halt in the road. She didn't know what to do and she had nowhere to go. The blue man charged her, swinging his sword wide and clipping her shoulder.

Poof-

"A clone, yeah." The blonde said as he looked around. "SHIT, LOOK OUT!!"

Ayako was barreling toward Kisame with chi-

"SHIT!" Kisame swore as he tried to dodge. But her palm made contact with his chest, puncturing a nasty, gaping hole into his sternum.

"Bye-bye mister shark." She said in a sing-song voice as she tore her arm from her handy work. Ayako turned her attention to the terrified blonde.

"Stay away from me, devil woman, UN!" he shouted from atop his clay bird. Forming new bombs in his hands, Deidara flung them at her. Ayako easily dodged them as she made hand signs, and the Grand Fireball was unleashed. Kisame stood, gripping his sword for support. Uneasy at first but his footsteps soon evened out and he ran at Ayako. He was just feet away from her but was knocked off his feet; tackled from the side by none other than Hideki.

On his end, Hideki couldn't watch it anymore. Sure, Ayako was doing great but he wasn't about to let the big fish guy get her from behind. And the ANBU squads had stopped their advances, apparently afraid that he would get hurt in the crossfire. So, Hideki took it upon himself to do something. And what a mistake it was. From the moment his shoulder connected with Kisame's side, Hideki knew he should have stayed in the trees.

"You little fuck." Kisame growled as he easily tore Hideki off of him, tossing him to the ground as he stood again. "You're gonna pay for that." One punch was all it took to incapacitate the noble son. Giving a gruff shake of his head, Kisame turned back to Ayako and charged.

Her eyes landed on Hideki's limp form for a second and a fire was ignited. Glowing Sharingan blazed with a fury so fierce, Mangekyo had been activated; completely skipping its other forms.

But something hit her…something that took her chakra and cut it in half with one blow.

"Not so tough now, huh bitch?" Kisame hit her again, this time he knocked her out. ANBU swarmed toward them as they made their retreat. Swooping low, Deidara was able to snatch up Hideki as they made their escape.

**A/N: **This chapter is dedicated to Wolfsredfalcon, The Silver Spork and No-Idea-For-A-Name. You guys wanted Akatsuki action, I hope you like it. Send me a shout and tell me what you think! See you in the next chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Torture

(**A/N: **Warning: this chapter will be a little graphic. If you are squeamish in reference to blood, please refrain from reading his chapter. And for The Silver Spork, your question will be answered in this chapter. Enjoy.)

~xxx~

When Itachi answered the door, the last thing he had been expecting to see was the ANBU bowing to him.

"Your presence has been requested in Hokage-sama's office immediately." The man said as he stepped to the side.

"Can you tell me what this is about?" Itachi asked, arching an elegant brow.

"There was an incident involving the noble family and third squad captain Crimson-san." At that, Itachi ran off like a bat out of hell; abandoning the streets of the Uchiha district in favor of the roof tops. He left in such a hurry; the ANBU behind him had closed the door before running after him.

The battle had taken place too far away from him; Itachi never sensed her chakra flare when she used neither the katon jutsu nor the chidori. When he reached the tower, Sakura was pacing in front of Tsunade's office door. She turned to him and sighed.

"Do you know what's going on? They only told me something had gone wrong with Ayako's mission."

Itachi shook his head in the negative. "No more than you do." He answered. Just then, the office door slammed open and out stormed the blonde Hokage herself. Inside the office, the couple could see the noble family sitting off in the corner; a grim look on each of their faces. Itachi scanned the room and cocked his head to the side. Hideki was missing. And where was Ayako?

The angered look on Tsunade's face gave everything away as it dawned on him.

"Have you sent a team after them?" he asked. His tone was deathly serious.

"You're both going, if that's what you're asking." She answered crossing her arms over her large chest.

"What happened? Where's Ayako?" Sakura snapped as tears sprung from her eyes.

~xxx~

"Ugh…" eyes slowly opened to a dark, cold room. There was a little light coming in from under the thick wooden door but not enough to make out much of anything.

"Ayako, are you ok?" someone whispered. Everything was still hazy, making her hearing a little muffled and her headache worse.

"Did anyone catch the number on the bus that hit me?" she asked as she rubbed her temples.

"I don't think it was a bus that hit you." God, why did that voice sound so familiar? Ayako closed her eyes again and heaved a sigh.

"Hideki, are you all right?" she asked trying to sit up, only to fail miserably.

"The kid is still out cold." At that, Ayako's eyes snapped open and she could make out the unruly hair of-

"Kankuro…?"

"The one and only." If he gave a smile, she couldn't see it.

"My god, are you ok? The last time I saw you, you…" she trailed off, unwilling to relive that day.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I was healed before I woke up…but they drained my chakra." Kankuro said as he sat back on his heels. "How'd they manage to get you, Aya-chan?"

"That shark hit me with something…my head hurts too much to think about it." She gave a low groan as she finally sat up with Kankuro's help. "Do you know how long we've been here?"

"Um…about seven hours, or so says my demolished watch." Kankuro said as he held up a pocket watch. "I do know that we're in Rain country…well, by the smell we are."

Ayako slowly stood and stretched her sore muscles with a groan. As she looked around the room and noticed a high window on the back wall with bars sitting vertically with little space between them; not enough space to fit a person through. Well this wasn't good –fucking horrible if you asked her. Finally, her eyes rested on Hideki's lone figure by the far wall. Well, maybe not far –the room was a 10 by 8 foot cell with a door and a tiny-ass window. Yeah, fucking _perfect_!

He looked the same, save a few new bruises on his cheek and neck. Slowly, Ayako stumbled over to her friend and knelt by his head. She could clearly see the dried blood on his lips from the small amount of light pooling into the room from under the door.

"Hideki, Hideki, wake up. It's me, Ayako." She whispered to him as she lightly tapped his good cheek. A small groan permeated throughout the room. It was a start, she thought as she shook his shoulder.

But that was all she got from him for the next minute or so.

"Hey wrinkles, wake up!" she commanded a little louder. His eyes opened slowly as Hideki gave a small whimper in protest.

"Not so loud; my head hurts." His voice was hoarse from sleep.

"Sit up so I can look you over." She said softly as her hands slid under his shoulders to help him up. But their motion stopped short –there were footsteps coming from down the hall…heading in their direction. Instinctively, Ayako moved in front of Hideki; blocking him from view of the door.

The cell was suddenly bright as the door swung open and two figures stepped into the room.

"Which one?" a man asked. The man's voice eerily calm and devoid of any emotion as he and his companion stood in the doorway.

From behind her fingers, Ayako could see the same tall, blue-skinned shark-man point directly at her.

"Leader-sama wants the bitch."

~xxx~

They didn't want to stop to camp for the night, but given their options, Itachi and Sakura had no choice but to follow orders. The Uchiha parents were worried beyond belief –though you couldn't tell by looking at Itachi -yet they were stopping for the night? Sakura sighed restlessly from the campfire.

The only clue they had to her whereabouts lay roughly northwest of where they sat now. Honestly, what was the point in wondering about the forest when they had no real clue as to where they took her? All they had to work with were roomers and split-second sightings of the two Akatsuki members.

She chanced a glance at her husband, who sat unusually quiet, to her right. Itachi looked deep in thought, though she knew what really plagued his mind. It ran through her mind more than once during their journey: what would have happened had they been there to help?

Sakura scooted a little closer to Itachi, waving an arm around his as her head rested on his shoulder. Odd…? Yes, for anyone watching the pair. But she was looking for comfort and found little as Itachi kept his gaze on the flickering flames. She soon realized that Itachi was the one in need of comfort.

"I know what your thinking, Itachi." She whispered against his arm, gripping it tighter. "But we have to be strong for when we find her." Sakura knew Itachi well enough to say that he would sneak off and look for Ayako alone, if given the chance. She knew he wouldn't rest until he did.

"I know." Was his reply as he blinked slowly and turned his head so that his lips barely brushed her forehead. Itachi pulled his arm free of her grasp only to wrap it around her waist and tug her closer.

"Sakura, it's time for your shift." Sasuke said as he approached the fire, wolf mask firmly in place. Itachi and Sakura shared a look –others could only guess what it meant then she stood and walked away.

"Hoshigaki Kisame of the Mist and Deidara of Stone…" Itachi whispered as if trying to solve a puzzle. He picked up a stick and put the tip in the fire. Sasuke watched his brother from the corner of his eye as he sat down by Itachi.

"Hinato said that Ayako believed them to be after the noble son." He started as he turned his gaze to the warm fire before him.

"They're not after the noble family, Sasuke. They want the Sharingan." Itachi said as he pulled the stick from the fames and focused his attention on the burning wood in his hand.

"What are you talking about? Why do they want it?" Sasuke asked as he slid to his brother's side.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this fire." Sasuke was nodding. "I'm going to let you in on a family secret."

~xxx~

Her eyes readjusted to the new light in the hall, only to make her want to close them again. There were numerous cells down the long hall, each identical to the one she was just pulled from. Ayako kicked and squirmed in Kisame's grasp but he wouldn't budge. He merely frowned down at her and waited for Ayako to wear herself down.

"Done?" he asked as gripped her arms tighter and gave a good shake. She gave one last kick to his shin with a huff.

"Fuck you, bastard." She hissed trying to wrench her arms free of his grasp. Kisame rolled his eyes and flung her over his shoulder.

"Maybe later but right now Leader-sama wants to talk to you." He said with a grunt.

Sasori watched with mild amusement as Ayako's arms and head swayed from side to side. She was sporting a black eye now, curtsy of Kisame. The raven-haired girl fought them with every ounce of strength she had left as soon as they grabbed her. A few kicks, hair tugs and a punch or ten later, both looked worse for wear but Kisame and Ayako were far from finished…even if Ayako did run out of steam just a second ago. He could still feel the hatred radiating from the smaller female.

She had to do what she was trained to do. Ibiki taught her many things in the passed two years. Even if gathering information on your captors while being tortured seemed a little farfetched, she was trained to do so.

'_They'll talk first, try to get you to spill some form of information. If that doesn't work in their favor, they'll start the physical torture. You must endure the pain; give them nothing to work with. Even if you do pass out, none of us will blame you. Now, once they realize pain doesn't work…let's just say, mental torture will be your strong point. Mangekyo can get you far if you use it on yourself.' _

Ibiki's words ran through her mind in a split second. She smirked against the black and red cloak in her face. Oddly enough, Ayako was looking forward to meeting their leader. She had just enough chakra to piss someone off, and if she could keep their focus on her…Hideki and Kankuro may have a chance to get out of here. Yes, Ayako had a sense of self preservation but when it came to her friends and family, she'd do anything to keep them safe.

~xxx~

"What the hell happened to the two of you?" Pein asked when Ayako was forced to sit in front of a large cherry-colored desk by Kisame's large hands. Ayako's black eye was new to him, as was Kisame's fat lip. The aforementioned shinobi pointed at each other and glared. Kids! The leader of the Akatsuki was dealing with a bunch of finger-pointing children. Pein motioned for his subordinates to wait outside while he had a little chat with the girl sitting across from him. They bowed to Pein and turned to leave.

"Catch you later, bitch. Oh, by the way… were you serious about that offer?" he snickered and hopped away as Ayako tried to punch him again. Sasori, being quick on the draw, was able to hold her in the chair until Kisame skirted out of the room. Then he let her go and left.

"I'll fucking kill that fish-faced freak." She mumbled under her breath then she was suddenly aware she wasn't alone. Ayako turned to meet the piercing gaze of the Akatsuki leader.

"If you're quite finished I have business that needs to be taken care of." His cold voice warned as he leaned back in his chair. Ayako sat stark still as she looked into his eyes. Everything about this man was bad news to her. From his orange-colored hair to his cold gaze, even his piercings man him feel evil…especially the two in his lips. They looked like dark, blood covered fangs to her.

"What do you want?" she asked after a long pause.

Pein's hands came forward and clasped on the desk in front of him. "I need the Sharingan." He said simply.

A sudden realization settled over her; she was in deep shit now. "And if I refuse?" a smirk grew on his lips.

"There is not refusing me. You either joint me willingly or… I will make you."

~xxx~

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Sasuke asked as he and Itachi sat by the fire. It wasn't as bright as it used to be; both men simply stopped feeding it as Itachi recounted the events all those years ago.

"Because Sandaime wanted me to eliminate the clan all together, you wouldn't have understood at the time. I told Sarutobi-sama that I would handle it in my own way; secretly working against the clan too keep them from reaching their goal." Itachi elaborated as he shifted in his seat. "Then father became ill and I inherited the title."

Finally, Sasuke understood why Itachi kept his distance back then…to safe the clan and the village from something disastrous and too keep Sasuke from seeing the hell it put Itachi threw. No wonder the stress lines on Itachi's face were so deep back then.

"So that's why you made so many reforms in the council…to keep them from taking over Konoha."

Itachi nodded. "The village belongs to the people, we shinobi only protect it. And as such, the title of Hokage is an elected one. The elders choose whose best to lead the village and make it stronger. It shouldn't be subject to a clan's selfish desire for power."

~xxx~

Sasori was first to notice the light sweat on their leader's face. Ayako sat slumped in the chair she had been forced to sit in, her chest lightly panting as her hands hung at her sides. Samehada gave a low hum in Kisame's ear, telling him that the girl had next to nothing in her chakra stores. So, what the hell happened?

Pein rose from his desk slowly, shaky, taking a step from his chair as his hand slid across the desk holding him upright. Ayako had used almost the entire last of her chakra on him, forcing him to reveal his past to her in the world of Tsukuyomi.

"Make her scream." Pein said as he stopped in front of her slumped figure, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes were closed and even though she was unconscious, there was a small smile on her lips. "She will learn to never cross me."

Sasori moved forward and hefted her limp body. With a bow, Sasori and Kisame left their leader in his angered state. Walking down the hall, no one said a word as they reflected on the scene they had found when Pein called them back into the room. The duo stopped at a large iron door, rusty hinges squeaking in protest as Kisame opened the door.

"So… uh… what exactly happened back there?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck in discomfort. If she could piss off their leader so badly in the five minutes she had been in there, what was she really capable of with full charka and no restraints? These were questions he was dying to answer and uncomfortable to think about.

Sasori had laid her down on the floor, working on removing her arm guards and chest plate. "She used the same technique on Leader-sama as she did on Zetsu…and he still hasn't recovered." Once the guards and chest plate were gone, Sasori pulled her to the center of the room and shackled her arms to chains hanging from the ceiling. Walking to the back wall, he pulled on a rope until Ayako was hanging with her toes just barely scraping the floor.

Onyx eyes fluttered open, catching Kisame's sadistic grin.

"So, how are we going to make her scream?" the Kiri-nin asked, taking a step closer to her hanging body. Sasori tried not to look at Kisame as turned to look at Ayako.

"You're awake… unexpected but fine. This'll make things easier." He commented, reaching for something on the table to the right. Ayako's eyes scanned the room. It was no different from the rooms she and Ibiki worked in back in the Konoha prison. White walls all around, the floor under her feet stained a brown color. She had survived Ibiki's training… this would be no different. She braced herself for the pain to come only to snap her attention to Kisame. He was walking toward her, a sneer on his blue-tinted lips.

"Nice body." He commented as he stalked closer, eyes roaming over her like a predator stalking its prey. Kisame came closer, pulling his cloak open as he neared. "A nice sized rack, well rounded hips, plump lips… my, oh my, the thinks I could do to you."

"Touch me and you'll regret it." Ayako hissed, eyes narrowing to slits. Kisame didn't pause in his steps but his smirk grew considerably wider. His hand reached forward, gently trailing down her cheek to her neck and farther down until his palm rested on her breast.

"What was that, kunoichi? I would regret what now?" he said as his hand squeezed her breast painfully tight. He suddenly found himself in a death grip, gasping for air as her legs squeezed the life out of him.

In a split second, Ayako had twisted her body and brought her legs up and round his neck so that her left leg was squeezing his throat with her foot locked under her right leg that held him in place.

"I want to know what color you'll turn once your lungs start gasping for air. Will you turn a darker shade of blue or will it be purple?" she asked as she squeezed harder. "Tell me; are my legs voluptuous enough for you?" Ayako was squeezing his trachea to the back of his throat making him wheeze every time he tried to breath.

_Whip-crack_

Her back stung with a viciousness she knew came from a whip. She let go of Kisame the instant the whip pelted her back the second time. Ayako could feel the blood seeping from the neat gashes on her back as it cracked again and hit her again mille-seconds later. She kept her eyes trained on Kisame as he managed to stand, though he leaned heavily on the wall with his hand on his neck, rubbing it softly taking in gulps of air into his burning lungs.

Sasori continued to whip her, muttering curses and something about puppets and perfect flesh. The first few hits hurt but after a while, Ayako was able to block the pain out and focus on her training. Breathing deeply and closing her eyes, she thought back to her days under Ibiki's harsh tutelage…clearing all thoughts from her mind and keeping her focus on staying calm.

After several hours and about nine different methods, Sasori gave up and pulled the rope from the hook on the fall, letting her battered body hit the floor into the pool of her blood.

"Get the medic and bring him to her cell." He spoke with disdain in his voice. He didn't get so much as a whimper out of her during the session. "We'll try again in the morning."

~xxx~

He had been in the cell for the better half of five days with chakra restraints on his wrists. He had been forced to heal Kisame when he returned from his mission. The gnarly scorched flesh of his chest took several hours to heal and the restraints were back on his wrists the moment he had finished. He figured that Sasuke was responsible for the lightning burns to the Kiri-nin's chest but was kept in the dark as to who had actually done the damage with the powerful Chidori attack.

Onyx eyes narrowed as the door to his cell was yanked open to reveal Kisame's lumbering figure stepped into the room, face slightly flushed for some reason.

"Stand up!" he commanded as he walked forward. "You have a new patient." The medic was pulled to his feet roughly and pushed to the door. He stumbled out the door and into the wall directly across from his cell. Kisame grabbed him by the ponytail and led him two cells down to an open door.

There were four other people in the room, he noticed as he was pushed roughly to the female figure on the floor. Sasori stood by her as a boy, who sat just behind him, stared at the girl with wide eyes. The last person he noticed sat in the corner glaring at him. Kankuro was trying to keep his anger in check when the sliver-haired medic as pushed into the room.

"Get to work." Kisame commanded as Sasori moved around the girl and took the medic's restraints off and handed him an under stocked and under supplied first-aid kit.

"Try anything funny and I'll kill you." Sasori said and moved off to the side.

"Not if I get to him first." Kankuro growled as he glared harder, earning a chuckle from Kisame. The medic moved forward and knelt next to the girl, tearing away her tattered shirt that barely covered her bloody back. Diving into the poorly stocked med kit, he grabbed a semi-clean clothe and water bottle and began cleaning the overlapping lacerations.

"Jesus Christ… were you trying to kill her?" he snapped as he looked up from his glowing hands. She had a number of broken ribs, fractured left humorous and bruising to some major organs… on top of the pealed flesh of her back.

"Had she not passed out, we would have. Damn girl didn't make a peep in the last six hours." Kisame said with a gruff shake of his head.

The medic shook his head and looked over to the boy watching him and the girl. "Care to give me a hand; I need to turn her over." The boy nodded and crawled around Sasori. The medic had been working on her internal injuries for the last hour, her back had to wait for now.

Hideki felt like vomiting as his hand touched her clod, pale skin. She groaned as her marred back made contact with the floor. The medic swept his hands over her abdomen, healing her bruised liver in half an hour. They turned her back over onto her stomach.

"My chakra is too low; I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way." The medic stated and the restraints were placed back on his wrists. Not having to worry about them escaping anymore, the two Akatsuki members left the room and stood outside the door, keeping it open so they could continue working. "Reach into my kit and get the needle and thread." He said and Hideki did as he was told, threading the needle and handing it to the sliver-haired man.

Another hour passed as they worked. The medic had Hideki cleaning her wounds while he stitched the long gashes that crisscrossed the length of her back.

"What's your name, kid?" the medic asked as he tied off the thread and moved to grab the spool from the boy holding it.

"I'm Fujimura Hideki." The boy answered, eyes never leaving the girl he now held up in his arms. "And you would be?"

"Yakushi Kabuto." The medic answered with a sigh.

"He's the reason her best friend is dead." Kankuro growled from the corner. He hadn't left that spot as his glare bore holes into Kabuto's back.

"That was Orochimaur's doing. I had no idea what he was doing until he sent the boy back to the village." Kabuto sighed as he continued to stitch Ayako's back.

"_Riight, _explain that to her when she wakes up and see what she has to say." Kankuro hissed turning his gaze to the girl being held by a now glaring boy. He smirked as Hideki's hands gripped her shoulders almost as if to pull her away from Kabuto.

"Is that true?" Hideki asked as his blue eyes narrowed to slits at the medic.

"It's true." Kabuto said quietly as he finished the last stitch. "I'm finished in here." He called to the two men outside the door. Sasori stepped inside and knelt next to him and looked over his work. He gave a soft nod and stood.

"You're staying in here. You'll be seeing her again tomorrow." With that, Sasori walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and locking it. There was a long moment of silence before someone moved, groaning in agony as all eyes adjusted to the dark.

"I ought to kill you myself… but I'm interested to hear you excuse for Gennosuke's death." Her voice was calm, quiet and laced with pain. Ayako sat up in Hideki's arms, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally, she settled between his legs with her back against his chest, head resting on his shoulder as she drew his arms around her to keep warm. "So, let's hear it."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and leaned his back against the wall.

"Orochimaru had sent me to spy on the Stone to collect information on their academy so we could find out why their shinobi were vastly stronger than our own. I had returned a month later to find him experimenting on a boy. I didn't know who he was at the time and I didn't question him about it." Kabuto said as he drew his legs up and rested his arms on top his knees.

"Bah, you didn't question him because you didn't care." Kankuro said as he shifted to lie down.

"Everyone has a sense of self preservation." Kabuto responded as he looked at his hands. "Mine was to never question the man who held my life in his hands."

"Yet you held his life in your hands. You were the one who killed him." Ayako said trying to keep her anger at bay.

"Anyway, Orochimaru sent Gennosuke back to the village…" he trailed off there, knowing what happened next; no point in stating the obvious.

"That's a line of bullshit if I ever heard one." Kankuro spat as he rolled over and faced away from the group.

"You're either a really good liar or you're telling the truth." Ayako said as her eyes scanned Kabuto's body, trying to detect any hint of deception. But when it came to his eyes there was no hiding anything. Kabuto was, in fact, telling the truth and she didn't need the Sharingan to figure that out.

"Get some rest." Kabuto said as he shifted to lie down on his side. "They'll be back in the morning to continue."

"He's right, Ayako." Hideki said as he tightened his arms around her. She turned in his arms, her side against his chest as her head returned to his shoulder.

"Good night Hideki." She whispered into his neck and closed her eyes.

Being mindful of her wounds, Hideki wrapped his arms around her and cradled her to him.

"Rest well, Aya-chan." And out of the blue, he kissed her forehead. Well, that answered Kabuto's questions about their relationship. The noble son and the heiress to the Uchiha clan…together…? He had to be dreaming. Now was not the time to guess at his cellmate's relationship, Kabuto needed to conserve his energy and build his chakra. He'll check on Ayako again in the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

Strength

(**A/N: **this chapter contains material that may not be suited for younger readers. If you don't like torture then please refrain from reading this chapter, as most of it pertains to the abovementioned subject.)

~xxx~

She awoke in the middle of the night, gently removing herself from his arms. Ayako didn't want the Akatsuki to think there was anything between Hideki and herself. They would use that against her and she knew it. So, she moved away from him or tried to that is. Hideki's arms tightened around her waist as his nose nuzzled her hair.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, his breath fluttering in her hair. She nodded into his chest and sighed into his comforting embrace. Ayako shifted to look up at him.

"I should really move…if they catch us like this, they'll use it to their advantage." She whispered to him. Something flashed in his eyes; something that she figured was possessiveness because he tightened his grip on her and shook his head.

"Just a little longer, please." He whispered to her bringing a hand to her cheek. God, his eyes were so beautiful to her that she couldn't resist the intensity of his gleaming stare. Their lips met in a tender display; touching lightly despite the raging hormones of their teen bodies. And before they could get swept up in their emotions, Ayako pulled away her eyes closed and lips slightly parted.

"Hideki…" she sighed just millimeters away from his peach lips. Her eyes opened and caught his gaze. His topaz gaze smoldered with lust, possession and something deeper… something she wanted to believe was love.

"Ayako," he whispered back and brought his lips to her forehead. Then he was moving, gently pushing her off of his chest and working at the buttons of his shirt. Before she knew what was happening, his shirt was over her shoulders covering the stitched skin of her back. The small gesture sent a shot of warmth threw her body, the loved feeling making her smile.

She placed a chaste kiss on his lips before moving away and settled against the wall just a few feet away. "Thank you." Ayako whispered then curled up in a ball on the floor. Hideki watched her as she went back to sleep. He marveled at her strength of will. Hideki wanted nothing more than to hold her for the rest of the night… but she had a good point. If the Akatsuki found out about their new found feelings for one another, they would certainly use that to their advantage. That was something she wanted to spare him from and Hideki realized that she felt the same way for him as he felt for her.

He made a vow to himself that once they were out of here… he would thank her properly and practically demand Itachi to let them see each other. With that thought in mind, Hideki closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. He was asleep before he knew it.

~xxx~

Kisame could feel the shift of the atmosphere in the cell. Something happened to strengthen the girl's resolve which he could clearly see in her eyes. They were more determined than they were yesterday, deeper in color with the slightest tint of red in her charcoal gaze. He was singing his praises to whatever god was listening when he drained her chakra… Kisame was sure that she was planning something in that cold gaze of hers.

Sasori had seen and sensed it too, moving quickly to scoop up her dazed figure before someone snapped. The death glares they had received from the blonde boy against the wall were a little unsettling but he did nothing to protect the girl from them. There was a hell of a lot of tension in the 10 by 8 cell, from the moment they walked in to the second the door closed, both Akatsuki members could have cut it with their arsenal of weaponry.

Hefting her weight on one shoulder, Sasori waited for Kisame to lock the door. They shared a wary glance and walked down the hall.

~xxx~

Ayako was alert to the presents of the orange-haired Akatsuki leader when she was brought into the room. Once again chained to the ceiling, Ayako met his gaze and glared.

"Are you ready to join me?" Pein asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Never." She seethed through clenched teeth. He frowned at her and gave a curt nod.

"Very well… Sasori," he said pushing himself to stand his full height. "You know what to do." Sasori nodded and moved to stand before her with a kunai in one hand while the other gripped the tattered black shirt of her uniform. Hideki's shirt had fallen off her shoulders when Kisame drained her chakra. Then her black shirt was no more as Sasori's kunai tore through the fabric. Her chest bindings fell away with her shirt, exposing her breasts to the men in the room.

"I told you they were nice." Kisame pointed out as he grinned at her bare chest. Ayako shivered slightly at the hungry look in Kisame's eyes.

"I wouldn't press your luck, Kisame-san." Sasori said as he moved away from the female hanging before him. "When she joins us, she'll be your partner." The statement was meant to deter Kisame from further actions against the girl… but they went unnoticed by the blue skinned shinobi. Kisame merely grinned more and licked his lips.

"Disgusting pig…" Ayako hissed as she glared at Kisame then turned her face away from him.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Pein stated more than asked as he leaned against the wall, crossed his legs and stared at Ayako, fully intent on witnessing her screams for himself. Sasori gave another nod and went back to the table. Ayako locked her gaze on Pein's ringed eyes. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seen her pain.

A cold hand settled on the small of her back, she stiffened. Sasori's finger weaved its way into her stitches, stopping to give her a split second to register what he was doing before yanking hard and tearing the thread from her reddened flesh. Ayako clenched her jaw to keep from shouting her agony to the men staring at her. Sasori sighed when her body only jerked from the force of his tug and nothing else happened.

His hand moved a little higher and he repeated the process to a few more areas of her back. Yet he got nothing in return, not even a gasp. Pein pushed himself from the wall and stalked toward her. He stood to the side and rested an open hand on her flat stomach while the other reached behind her and settled between her shoulder blades where the longest stitch lay.

"You will join me." He said to her as his index finger looped under the knot. "I have great plans for the world," Pein continued as he slowly, painfully; pull the stitch loose from her skin. "And I need the Sharingan to achieve them." He pulled a little more, watching her eyes for any sign of pain, but he got nothing. Ayako could feel the blood run down her back, the pain was astronomical but she kept his gaze. "You will submit to me!" he growled a little louder and yanked the rest of the stitching from her back, feeling her blood coat his fingers.

She remained calm.

Pein gave a frustrated growl and walked away from her and out of the room, slamming the door as he left.

"Damn, she's got some balls." Kisame exclaimed as he watched Sasori turn the girl to face the table. He was unnerved at hearing the sound of flesh being ripped apart and to see the aftermath of stitches torn from her back, made him want to vomit. Not that he was squeamish at the sight of blood, no, the fact that it could happen to him made his stomach churn. Kisame had to applaud her though; her strength was something beyond anything he had ever seen.

Having your stitches ripped out without making a peep in protest was something to be commended.

"I see no reason to mar such beautiful skin but…" Sasori spoke as he retrieved what looked like a filet knife from the table. "What other choice is there since you refused his offer?" holding the knife steady, Sasori began to carve intricate designs onto her flat abs, digging the utensil deep into her flesh as streams of blood slid over her muscled core.

Ayako's leg twitched as they dangled over the floor. She could feel the blood begin to collect in her sandals, making her feet slide in her shoes as they scraped against the floor. She was suddenly aware of Kisame right behind her.

"We never did get that scream from you." He whispered in her ear as his hands glided over her hips and bottom. "Leader-sama never did specify what kind of scream he wanted to hear." Ayako's leg suddenly thrust into his groin, causing Kisame to stumble backward and Sasori to cut a long gash through his work on her stomach.

"Kisame, get the hell out!" growled the frustrated redhead as he tossed he knife onto the table. Kisame grumbled but left none the less. Sasori let out a sigh and turned away from her. "You can cry if you want, I'll soundproof the room for you."

"Why?" he heard her ask, pain lacing her simple question. Sasori turned back to look at her.

"You don't deserve this kind of treatment." He stated simply. Sasori walked to the door and paused with his hand on the knob. "And he told me you wouldn't be hurt when you were brought here. I don't like being lied to." Then he was gone, leaving her to hang there for god knows how long.

~xxx~

Kabuto sat under the window, the only light in the room. It had to have been about noon and they had taken Ayako before the sun was up. So, there was nothing to do except talk his fellow cellmates.

Kankuro said nothing, as expected. Hideki on the other hand was more than willing to talk.

"So, she stopped a thief and then became your bodyguard?" Kabuto asked, trying to get a grasp of what he learned. From Hideki, Kabuto found the raven-haired girl to be quite the adversary. She was strong, cunning and incredibly brave… well, from what Hideki had seen. He had explained to Kabuto the events leading up to their capture and Kabuto was impressed. Had Hideki stayed in the trees like he was supposed to, he and Ayako wouldn't be there now.

"She's something else. I've never met anyone like her before." Hideki said with a small smile. That smile cemented all of Kabuto's suspicions about their relationship, though he'd never say anything about it. Kabuto was about to say something when the door opened and Sasori stepped in.

"Come." He commanded Kabuto as he stepped to the side. "And bring the shirt with you." Kabuto stood up and Hideki tossed the shirt to him. He caught it easily and moved to the door.

When they reached the room, Sasori stopped and knocked on the door. This confused Kabuto. Was there someone else in there with her? After a few heartbeats, the door opened and Kabuto walked in followed closely by Sasori.

Ayako was rubbing her cheeks on her arms, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.

'_That's why he knocked.' _Kabuto thought as he walked toward her and began to assess her injuries. He was thoroughly confused, looking over the cuts to her stomach and the re-opened stitches he had painstakingly worked on the night before. Kabuto's eyes met her gaze; one that said 'I'll tell you later'. He gave a small nod and left it at that.

"Do you have enough chakra to heal her?" Sasori asked from the door. Kabuto turned to him and nodded. Sasori walked over to him and took the restraints off then went to the back wall. Letting the rope out slowly, Kabuto grabbed a hold of Ayako as she came down.

"Fuck…" she hissed in protest as she sat on the floor. Kabuto handed her the shirt after he unchained her from the shackles. Quickly, he healed her back as Ayako held the shirt to her chest mindful of the blood on her abdomen.

"Here, let me help you." Kabuto whispered as he took the shirt and slid it over his arms. Ayako nodded her thanks as he pulled the shirt up to her shoulders. "I'm going to have to cut your hair." He said to her.

"I understand." She whispered and fixed her gaze to the floor. Ayako loved her hair but sacrifices had to be made. Besides, it'll grow back.

"How much needs to be cut?" Sasori asked as he picked up a pair of scissors from the table. Kabuto looked up at him and gave a small smile.

"Up to her shoulders." He answered then turned back to Ayako. "Don't worry, it'll grow back."

"I know that." She growled at him. "I'm just tired." Suddenly, Sasori was heading to the door.

"I'll be back; Deidara is better suited to cut hair than I am." Then he was gone, closing and locking the door behind him.

"He wasn't as nice when I was under his jutsu." Kabuto commented as he worked to heal the gashes along her abdomen. The door swung open and in walked the blonde that had attacked her.

"So, someone needs a hair cut, yeah?" he asked with scissors in hand.

"Cut just enough to keep it out of her stitches." Kabuto ordered and moved to the other side to make room for the bubbly blonde. Ayako had just finished buttoning the shirt when Deidara squatted down in front of her.

"I really wish I was here to see you kick Kisame in the nuts, yeah." He said with a snort. "Would have been funny as hell to see, un." Kabuto gave a soft chuckle.

"Have him feel you up and see how you feel about it." She snapped, eyes drooping in exhaustion. It took a lot out of her to keep quiet and not scream during the last session. Lord only knows what they in store for her tomorrow.

"Oh, I've been there, yeah. I never got the chance to kick him in the nuts though, un." He was behind her now, looking down the back of the oversized shirt to see where the stitches were. A few minutes later, he was done and already out the door. Sasori put the restraints back on Kabuto and led them back to their cell, though Ayako was carried back by Kabuto.

~xxx~

Ayako felt warm and oh so comfortable. She snuggled into the soft yet firm surface with a contented sigh. Then it shifted and she felt the vibration of a soft… chuckle? Onyx eyes fluttered open to the soft moonlight filtering in through the high window. Scanning the room, Ayako could see that Kankuro and Kabuto were asleep on the other side of the room. She turned her head and met the topaz gaze of Hideki.

"I wasn't too sure at first but…" he whispered to her with a warm smile. "I like your hair cut." She turned in his arms and laced her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. His arms went around her waist, being careful of the stitches in her lower back. Right now, she needed the comfort he was offering.

"Hideki," she said as her arms tightened around him.

"Everything's going to be alright." He assured her as he placed a chaste kiss on her shoulder. Something warm and wet fell on his shoulder; he knew instantly that Ayako was crying. He pulled her to sit on his lap as she continued to silently cry on his shoulder. "Don't worry; I'm sure Itachi-sama is out there looking for you as we speak." Tear-filled eyes looked up at him.

"I know he is." She said in a low tone, voice breaking slightly from crying. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." Her hands grabbed the fabric of his tank top. Hideki's hands went over hers.

"Did something happen?" he asked gently. Kankuro had woken up and crawled over to them.

"What's the matter?" his tone was quiet yet it held the commanding undertone his position as ambassador demanded of him.

"Their leader was in there with me today." She said as she looked down to the ground. "I can't help but think that tomorrow will be far worse than today was." Ayako looked up at them and sighed. No one said anything for a while as they contemplated the possibilities.

"No matter what happens next, we have to stay strong. For Konoha, Suna, the daimyo, all our friends and family are out there looking for us right now. We just have to keep focused and try to find a way out of this mess." Kankuro said as he placed a hand on the teens' shoulders. They nodded at his words and looked at each other; an uncertain future hung over their heads but they were sure they'd make it out of this… together.

"Get some rest Aya-chan. Lord knows you need it most." Hideki said as he gently set her down on the floor and put his arm over her shoulder, pulling her to lie on his lap. Ayako was asleep in minutes with Hideki stroking her hair.

"There is a way out of here. We just need a few supplies." Kabuto said as he sat up and looked at the window. "Or a ferret…"

~xxx~

"Tobi is a good boy." Someone called from down the hall. The group of four had just finished their first meal in days when the loud, childish voice cried over the deafening silence.

"Shut the hell up Tobi, yeah!" that was Deidara. They knew that for certain… but who was Tobi? All eyes turned to the door as one of the men unlocked the door and it swung open. Deidara looked as though he were going to kill the masked man hopping around behind him. Walking into the room, Deidara stepped toward Ayako only to be pushed out of the way by Tobi.

"Oh, Deidara-senpai… she's so pretty." Ayako scowled at the man inches from her face.

"Mind getting the hell out of my face or do you want me to kick it?" she snapped as her eyes narrowed. Tobi was pulled back by Deidara and he offered her a hand accompanied by a brilliant smile. Ayako refused the offer and stood on shaky legs. That didn't matter to him as he picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. She really felt like a piece of meat now as they exited the room.

"Idiot…" Kabuto scowled then turned to Kankuro. "It's now or never." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple pill that Ayako had hidden behind her headband. "It hasn't been tested yet but Ayako said it should give you enough time for a summoning without anyone noticing." Kankuro nodded. The men figured that Kisame would be around soon to drain Kankuro's chakra and now was the perfect time to get a message out.

Kankuro ate the pill and made a string of hand signs. There was a poof as a small column of smoke rose from the ground and Karachi stood at its center.

"Where's the princess?" the fury animal asked as he looked around and was met with solemn faces.

"We're at the enemy base, Karachi." Kankuro spoke as he reached forward and picked up the ferret in both hands. "Find Itachi and lead him here. Ayako won't be able to last much longer." Karachi gave a salute and crawled onto his shoulder. Kankuro stood and walked to the window, helping Karachi up and out.

"How long do you think it'll take for the team to show?" Hideki asked eyes glued to the window.

"Knowing Itachi's tracking skills and overprotective nature," Kankuro said as he scratched the back of his head. "He'll be in the vicinity by this time tomorrow. These guys are smart but that bird they brought you in on would have let one hell of an impression on travelers." That was good news.

~xxx~

They had been at it for four hours now and the girl hadn't said a word. Pein said to make her talk yet she clamed up and stared at the wall. Tobi had been bouncing around the room for the hour and a half, annoying the hell out of Deidara. So much so, Deidara thought he was the one being tortured.

"Tobi wants to try. Tobi is a good boy, Deidara-senpai!" the enthusiastic man-child shouted.

"Whatever, I'm going to go take a leak, yeah." Deidara sighed as he walked to the door. "I hope she breaks out of that chair and kills you, un." He muttered under his breath, walked out of the room.

The air in the room changed drastically when Deidara left causing Ayako to sit a little taller, preparing her self for the worst.

"And now the fun really begins." This was a new voice behind the mask. Slowly, Ayako turned her head to look at Tobi and she froze. It wasn't Tobi any more. The man who stood there taking his mask off wasn't the idiotic, carefree man he once was. She felt a menacing chakra surge that chilled her to the core. When his eyes finally met hers, she could clearly see the crimson glint of Mangekyo.

As the true leader of the Akatsuki, Madara had taken it upon himself to convince Ayako to join their ranks. He just needed some… leverage. Then he was moving, walking gracefully toward her. Long hair fanned over his back and shoulders, giving him the presents of power that he long held up until his fight against the First.

"Ayako, I've waited far too long for you to comply." His smooth baritone spoke in the chilled room. "I have a very important task that only _you _can carry out. The Kyuubi will follow only you now." Madara was kneeling before her, Sharingan eyes beckoning to her, swirling. "You can control the fox demon and bring him to me."

"Never… I'll never serve you." She hissed tearing her gaze from his. He almost had her.

"Didn't you father ever teach you to respect your elders?" Madara spat as he roughly grabbed her by the chin, making her look at him.

"Only those who deserve it," Ayako fired back with a heated glare. "And you deserve to rot in hell, Madara-_sama_." She wrenched free of his grasp only to have him grab her hair and pull her head back.

"Maybe so, but first I'll need to change your mind. Just sit back, relax and…" he paused as the Mangekyo began to swirl, hypnotizing her instantly. "Scream!"

~xxx~

Pein entered the room to find Ayako slumped in the chair, terrified eyes locked on the floor.

"Your orders, sir?" Pein asked watching Ayako's chest heave to catch her breath. Too bad for him; he missed her screams of agony and pleas to stop.

"Bring the boy and make her watch him suffer." Kisame and Sasori were sent to bring Hideki to the room while Pein and Madara retreated to their respective quarters for the night.

He knew; Hideki knew something was wrong when they came for him. And there was nothing he could do to fight back. The room they took him to was a easily twice the size the cell they had dragged him from, devoid of anything except a table with various types of tools on it, chains hanging from the ceiling and a chair that Ayako was strapped into.

Speaking of Ayako, she had looked up when the door opened and terror shot threw her system. Her mouth hung open and she let out a squeak, unable to form words as they strung him up and tore away his shirt. Hideki was turned so that he faced Ayako; her eyes never wavered from his. His blue eyes seemed lighter than normal and it broke her heart. Where was that passion she saw before? It was Madara's fault, all of it, she told herself then the whip cracked and Hideki roared.

She could only stare as Kisame beat and flogged Hideki repeatedly while tears slipped down her dirty cheeks.

"No, Hideki…" the words were barely above a whisper.

"This will stop if you just say yes. He can go home along with the other two." Sasori said as he crouched next to her. "If you value him, you'll say yes."

"Don't Ayako, don't give in –ah!" Hideki was cut off by another crack of the whip.

"Hideki," she whispered and promptly passed out. Sasori heaved a sigh and unstrapped her from the chair.

"Let's go. We may have better luck tomorrow." He said and moved to the door. She felt a little heavier than normal but paid no mind; dead weight was heavier than most expected.

~xxx~

The cell door opened and Hideki was tossed into the room while Ayako was placed gingerly on the floor.

"Fix him." Kisame commanded as he took the restraints off of Kabuto's wrists. Once he was finished the two Akatsuki members left with a shuddering slam of the door.

"Is he alright?" Ayako asked as she sat up and crawled over to Hideki. Kabuto gave a tight nod and sat back on the floor.

"We sent Karachi to look for your father as you requested. And I must say that your miracle pill worked perfectly.

"Good. Let's get out of here." She said as she stood. Her image flickered for a moment then became clear again. Ayako was standing before them with two medic packs and Karasu, Kankuro's favorite puppet.

"Nice, so the idiot forgot to drain you of your chakra?" Kankuro asked with a grin.

"That's right…" she trailed off, something was outside. The tiniest flicker of chakra caught her attention. "There here!" she whispered harshly and move to hand the guys their items while she, literally, tore the restraints form Kabuto's arms. Itachi appeared in the window seconds later.

"Are you able to run?" he asked calmly. Ayako gave a nod.

"Tell everyone to stand back; we're coming out."

A/N: As requested, the Deidara cameo is for The Sliver Spork. Send me a shout and tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

Home

(**A/N: **Alright, in this chapter someone dies. I'm not going to say who it is, so don't ask. I listened to '_The Noose_' by _A Perfect Circle_ the entire time I was writing this chapter. You should check it out if you don't know the song already. Cheers and enjoy!)

~xxx~

**BOOM!**

The base shook violently, jolting Akatsuki members from their musings or sleep as they scrambled about in the dark.

"What the fuck was that?" Hidan shouted as he stepped out of his room with a spike sticking out of his chest. His partner, Kakuzu, walked toward the prison as the rest stood in the hall.

"The girl has her chakra. Some moron forgot to drain her today." He said, looking pointedly at Kisame who shrugged as if were nothing.

"Bring her back to me." Pein said as he entered the hall, already aware that Ayako had escaped. "Hidan, Kakuzu, stay here, the rest of you go after her." He ordered with a growl. And so, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara and Zetsu were off, bounding into the darkness of the forest.

~xxx~

She popped a soldier pill then gave one to Kankuro and Kabuto before gathering chakra into her fist. With one tremendous punch, the wall went tumbling down. Kabuto and Kankuro picked up Hideki and followed Ayako out of the hole. There were five people standing a few feet away as the prisoners came into view. Itachi and Sakura were to their right and Sasuke, Kakashi and Ibiki to their left, all waiting for them to be clear of the building before moving toward them.

"Princess, are you alright?" the ferret asked as he hopped off of Itachi's shoulder and scurried toward her.

"There's no time to talk, we need to get out of here now." Ayako said as she picked him up and walked to her parents.

"What about him?" Sasuke asked as he pointed to Kabuto. Ayako turned to meet the gaze of the silver-haired medic and gave a nod.

"I vouch for him." She said and turned away, looking at her father. "We need to go." Itachi nodded and grabbed her hand. They split into two groups. Sasuke now carried Hideki on his back as he followed Itachi and Ayako with Kabuto to his right flank. Sakura led the other team with Kakashi to her right, Kankuro just behind them and Ibiki bringing up the rear. They had decided, rather quickly, that they could travel faster in two teams then meet up in one of the smaller villages outside of Konoha. It was safer that way with an able medic on each team.

~xxx~

Trees zipped by in a flash as the team barreled through the forest. Itachi still had a tight grip on Ayako's hands as he led the way. She was starting to tire, the soldier pill loosing effect as her chakra worked to heal her body like it was trained to.

"She needs to rest." Kabuto said from behind as one hand reached into his pack. Ayako needed a change of bandages due to all of the running; some of the stitches had re-opened and were bleeding through. And so, they stopped and hid in the thick brush so Kabuto could look over her wounds.

"Ojisan is Hideki alright?" she asked as Kabuto lifted the back of her shirt. Itachi was kneeling next to her, helping Kabuto when he asked him to hold something or look for something else in his pack.

"My ribs hurt but I'm sure I'll manage." Hideki said as he sat up with a groan. She wanted to move to him, be near as he woke but Itachi's hands kept her firmly in place. Ayako moved her head and leaned back a little to see Sasuke giving Hideki a canteen.

One the other hand, Hideki was having a hard time just sitting there. His chest ached, arms and legs felt heavy and his head felt like it was splitting in half. The pair was given field rations and pain killers for the time being. Until they got to the hospital there was nothing more Kabuto could do that wouldn't put them at risk or drain his chakra.

_Bam_

A tree fell over just a hundred yards away. Instantly, Ayako was on her feet and at Hideki's side. Helping him to stand, Itachi and Sasuke moved in front of them as the group edged towards thicker cover. Ayako motioned for Hideki to keep quiet while they waited; if they moved now, they would surely be spotted.

"I can smell her blood over here." The voice was so hauntingly familiar it made Ayako's run cold. Kisame… they were screwed.

"Move slowly toward the road. Once you get there, get your asses to the village." Itachi whispered, reaching into his holster for a kunai.

"They'll just follow me." Ayako whispered back. "They want the Nine-Tails and they need me to control it." Itachi looked over his shoulder to see Ayako's icy glare locked on the trees ahead of them. Though she was in a great deal of pain, Ayako was still ready and willing to fight to protect her friends, family and the village. And Itachi was proud. She had certainly lived up to her status as heiress to the clan and ANBU captain.

"Alright," it was a make or break decision but Itachi wasn't about to let anyone get their hands on Ayako again. "We'll make a stand here. Karachi, tell Tsunade-sama we'll be home soon and to have the medical team on standby." The black and cream ferret nodded and hopped out of Ayako's pack, heading straight for Konoha.

~xxx~

Sasori wanted nothing more than to just leave Kisame to wonder around the forest while he went back to his puppets but circumstances just didn't allow it. Ayako and the others had escaped because the drunken idiot forgot to drain her chakra. Medics regain their chakra faster than normal shinobi and Kisame knew that. But the moron had been so drunk and still pissed from being kicked in the nuts, he forgot his job. And now, now she was gone and leader was pissed.

"I say when we find her; we make her pay for disturbing the peace." Kisame grumbled as he staggered a little then straightened up and started walking.

"You're the one who forgot to drain her chakra; technically this is entirely your fault." Sasori responded calm and even in tone though he was pissed as hell at the Kiri-nin. Kisame took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Slightly more sober than before, Kisame grinned.

"You smell that?" he asked the puppet master as his head turned to the right. Sasori wanted to roll his eyes but he knew if Kisame could smell the girl then she was as good as caught. "That way, she's bleeding." He grinned a little more; his walking had now turned to a full sprint up and into the trees. After about thirty minutes, Kisame seemed unsure of his surroundings; he had lost the sent of her blood and was now just looking around.

"Are you sure you're not still drunk Kisame-san?" he asked as they moved forward.

"It's all this shit in the way. Damn trees keep blocking the sent." Kisame grumbled as he stopped at a particularly large tree and glared at it.

_Slice-__**BAM**_

And the tree fell with a quick flick of the wrist and Samehada. "Found you." He whispered with a sneer. "I can smell her blood over here." Kisame hollered over his shoulder.

"How far is she?" Sasori asked as he came up to Kisame and sighed.

Kisame took a whiff of air. "About a hundred years north. There are three, no, four others with her." Just then, there was a huge surge of chakra… it was Itachi's chakra, to be exact. Both Akatsuki members moved into the tiny area and found the small group waiting for them.

Ayako had to force her chakra to stop healing her body as she ate another soldier pill. Itachi barely used his chakra pulling her along for the last half hour, so there was plenty between the two. And more than enough to take on Kisame who was basically a well of chakra on his own. Sasori, on the other hand, gave no hints as to how much chakra he had left, but Ayako knew he was powerful enough without it.

In a flash, Kisame was reaching for her as she pushed Hideki to the side. He flew between them and spun around to meet a kunai. It missed by mere inches as he sidestepped and swung Samehada. Ayako knew better to let that thing near her, so she ducked and spun, one leg extended to trip him as Itachi came up from behind and grabbed Kisame's cloak.

Sasori launched a puppet at the pair before him. Kabuto and Sasuke had been lucky thus far, narrowly missing a barrage of poisonous kunai and senbon as they advanced on the puppet master's position. The area was just too small for their style of combat. With a nod, Kabuto flanked the left while Sasuke shot forward effectively distracting Sasori long enough for Kabuto to get behind him.

In his thirty-seven years, Sasuke had never been so surprised. Kabuto was in position and ready to strike when Sasori just vanished, gone as if he were never there. Suddenly, a new puppet appeared and caught Kabuto by surprise, knocking him through the trees. Making a few hand signs, Sasuke launched himself into an attack.

They had him on the ropes. Kisame could barely stand but he still had a tremendous amount of chakra left. Ayako wasn't sure about Itachi but she was starting to run low herself. Kisame caught Itachi off guard and sent him flying, leaving her to fight the Kiri-nin alone.

"Well, now that we're alone, what do you say I take you up on that offer?" he sneered. They stood a few apart with their hands on their weapons. It was a true showdown, except Kisame had the upper hand. Ayako had been sufficiently slowed down due to the long gash in her left thigh. All she had left was a few shuriken and only one kunai and explosion tag, Ayako was royally screwed.

"Damn it…" she hissed and took a step back. Kisame crouched and swung Samehada. There was no time to move, so Ayako closed her eyes and waited for the hit to land. There was no escaping it now.

"AYAKO!!" someone shouted and enveloped her in a tight hug. "Ugh… shit." Her eyes snapped open to find Hideki's pained face staring down at her.

"W-what are you doing here? You're supposed to be hiding." She whispered in shock. Blood trickled down from his lips when he smiled at her.

"Saving you." He answered then fell to his knees, head pressing against her midsection.

"Hideki," she said a little louder, chocking back tears. Her hands went to his shoulders, pulling him back so she could look into his eyes. The light was fading in them quickly. "Hideki, no!" she screamed and fell to her knees, cradling him against her chest. Itachi saw it all as he attacked Kisame with ferocity unmatched by any man before.

Something was wrong. Sasori could feel the shift in the air and stopped his attack on Sasuke just inches away from punching him in the face.

"Hideki, no!" the heartbroken cry cut through the forest and Sasori stood and looked towards Ayako. Kabuto was the first to move, jumping to the trees to get to the pair on the ground. Sasori moved away from Sasuke and brought his puppet back to his side.

"Go to her." He said to Sasuke and turned away from him. Sasuke was confused but when he felt four chakra signatures heading in their direction, he understood why. Sasori vanished then reappeared by Kisame. "We're retreating." And then they were gone.

Ayako was pumping chakra into Hideki, trying desperately to heal the long, deep wound that ran the length of his back. She didn't have enough and she could feel his life slipping away from him quickly. Tears sprang from her eyes as the last of the light left his blue eyes.

"No, no, n-no… NO!!" she cried as her hunched over and hugged Hideki closer to her. Kabuto knelt next to Hideki as Itachi gently pulled her away from the boy's body. Just then, Sakura, Kankuro, Kakashi and Ibiki appeared in the clearing assessing the damage while Ayako sobbed into Itachi's chest, her bloody hands gripping his shirt.

Sakura moved to the other side of Kabuto, watching him as his chakra pumped into the body on the ground. "What happened here?" she asked as she reached into her pack.

"He saved her." Itachi said over Ayako's sobs as Sasuke laid a comforting hand on the crying girl's back. Her attention was drawn from the body on the ground to her daughter's huddled form. It was pretty clear what had happened to Hideki now. The other three on her team stood back but were on guard, occasionally looking back to see what was going on. Sakura turned her attention back to Kabuto and noticed something different about him.

"What do you think you're doing? Using that jutsu will only kill you."

Kabuto looked up from his work and gave a soft nod. He knew what he was doing and he wasn't going to stop. "I've spent my life serving monsters… I always thought I would die under Orochimaru-sama but things have changed." He said with a soft smile. "My life had no meaning until now and it's thanks to Ayako and Hideki that I can let go of that and spend my last moments doing something meaningful." With chakra at full bore, Kabuto delved deeper into Hideki's corpse, slowly filling the body with healing chakra. This would be his last jutsu and he wanted to make it count even if he had to forfeit his life to do so.

There was a gasp and blue eyes flickered open. Hideki was alive and Kabuto gave his life to save him just as Chiyo did to save Gaara all those years ago.

"Ayako…" Hideki whispered as he tried to sit up only to be pushed back down by Sakura.

"She's fine, thanks to you Hideki-sama. Thank you." She said to him with a warm smile.

"Was I dead?" he asked as Sakura began checking him over. She gave a small nod as her hands moved over his body. "Then how…" he was cut off when Sakura shook her head. Ayako had given into her exhaustion and feel asleep against Itachi while Kabuto worked on Hideki so she had no idea as to what had happened.

"There's a wagon on the road we can use for transportation." Kankuro said as he walked over to Kabuto's body and picked him up. Itachi nodded and stood.

"Let's get going, Tsunade-sama will have a team waiting for us when we get home." Even in her sleep, the word 'home' penetrated the thick haze of her mind and Ayako gave a tiny sigh.

~xxx~

Tsunade waited by the appointed gate with a full staff of medics on standby. She had no idea how many of the rescue team was hurt or how bad; all she knew was Itachi had requested the best team possible. So things had gotten out of hand or he was being paranoid. That about summed up her thoughts as she waited for their return.

The rattle of wheels and thumping of horse hooves caught her attention as a wagon came into view. Itachi was at the reigns with Sasuke sitting next to him. Sakura was in the back working on a person Tsunade couldn't see. Ibiki and Kakashi were on either side of the wagon while Kankuro brought up the rear. As the wagon came closer, Tsunade could tell something had happened… something huge. Everyone seemed too tired and pale for their own good.

"Get them to the hospital." She commanded as the wagon came to a stop. The medic team moved forward, taking direction from Sakura as they hefted Hideki in a stretcher and moved to get Ayako. "So, who wants to tell me what happened and whose body is that?" Tsunade asked, pointing to the covered figure in the back of the wagon.

"I'll brief you once we get to the hospital." Kankuro said as he helped the medics pick up Ayako. "She had asked me to tell you everything in the event she was unable to."

'_Well now, it looks like Ayako had a plan the entire time they were gone.' _Tsunade thought as she nodded to Kankuro. "It's good to see you're in one piece. Let's get you checked out then." She smiled as the medics rushed off to the hospital where Shizune waited for them. "Suna had been informed for the situation."

~xxx~

It had been a week since their return to Konoha but Ayako hadn't woken up in that time. Tsunade contributed the problem to her excruciating ordeal with the Akatsuki and said she'd wake up when her body had time to adjust. In the mean time, all they could do was wait and so they did.

Itachi was at the hospital everyday, from the time visiting hours started and all day until they ended. He had told Sasuke to bring Akito to the hospital when he was fished with school and Shiro always came with his genin team. Some things had changed during the week. For instants, the guards around the village had been doubled for fear of an Akatsuki attack. There were ANBU guards outside Ayako's hospital room 24/7 and the boys were always around people Itachi knew and trusted (which were a select few).

Hideki had pulled through just two days after their return and his parents were there the moment he was up. He had insisted on seeing Ayako as soon as possible but Tsunade told him that rest was more important. And by the end of the fifth day, Hideki was discharged and released from the hospital. But before he left to go home, Hideki was allowed to see her.

Itachi left the room to give Hideki some time with her before he left. You see, when Hideki stepped in front of the blade and saved her life, Itachi had made up his mind about Hideki in the second it took to register what had happened. He trusted Hideki with his life… and life of his daughter. Itachi had no qualms leaving his still sleeping daughter alone with a boy he barely knew. Hideki had proven himself worthy… even if Itachi wouldn't say it out right.

He pulled the chair closer the bed and sat down. For a moment, Hideki watched her sleep, listening to the steady sound of her breathing and the heart rate monitor's beep.

"I wrote you a letter for when you woke up." He said as he looked at his hands. "Your mother says you have no idea that I lived… that you cried when I died…" Hideki trailed off for a minute then looked up at Ayako's sleeping face. "I know you can't hear me right now but… on the off chance you can I just wanted to say that I love you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. "And in case you wake up soon, I'll leave the letter on the nightstand." Hideki stood up and placed the letter on the table then turned to face Ayako. He watched her for a moment then placed his lips on her forehead. "I love you, Uchiha Ayako." He whispered then left the room.

~xxx~

Onyx eyes flickered to life at three in the morning. Ayako was hungry and she couldn't sleep anymore. Her body hurt everywhere and she felt dizzy, lying in the hospital bed. Wait… hospital bed? She sat up and a wave of nausea hit her like a tone of bricks. Ayako slipped out of bed and grabbed a hold of the IV rail for support. The moment her feet hit the floor… she had to puke. Stumbling towards the bathroom, Ayako practically kick the door open as she threw herself at the toilet.

Someone was in the room with her, handing Ayako a glass of water and coaching her to drink slowly. After another vomiting episode, Ayako sat back from the toilet and let the person clean her face with a wet cloth.

"You really shouldn't be so reckless, captain." A kind, feminine voice said as the woman helped Ayako to stand. "Come; let's get you back to bed." Ami said and escorted her weak captain back to bed. "I'll be right back with some food. Kin's right outside if you need anything before I get back… and don't get out of bed. You're mom and dad will have my head if you re-open your wounds."

"Thanks Ami, I owe you one." Ayako's voice was scratchy and thick from sleep and vomiting but Ami heard her clearly. The red-haired, brown-eyed communications specialist smiled softly under her mask and gave a small nod before walking soundlessly out of the room. Ayako looked around the dark room and frowned; for a medic, Ayako hated hospitals but she sighed and leaned against the pillows.

Tired of the darkness, Ayako leaned over and clicked on the light. She was about to lie back on the pillows when something caught her eyes. A letter sat propped up against the lamp with her name written neatly on the envelope. Slowly, she reached of the letter and picked it up. Ayako didn't recognize the handwriting that scrolled across the paper but she was curious as to who wrote it. Slipping the paper from the envelope, she read the letter aloud to the silent room.

"_Ayako,_

"_I can't even begin to tell you how I am able to write this letter to you. I thought for sure I was a goner but Kabuto… he saved me._"

The letter was from Hideki. Shocking as it was, Ayako wanted to know what else he had to say, so she read on.

"_Sakura-sama said that you had passed out before I was revived so… well, if you're reading this right now then I guess you know I'm ok. Oh, how I wish I could've been there when you woke up but I had to go home. Tsunade-sama wouldn't let me stay any longer than I had to. Hopefully, when I come back in two weeks we'll be able to spend some time together, you know just you and me. Not that I meant that in any kind of sexual manner…"_

Ayako snickered; she could just imagine his face when he was writing the letter. Ayako smiled softly as her eyes swept over the rest of the letter.

"_Anyways, I wanted to tell you something. I've wanted to say this ever since we were back in the cell at the Akatsuki base; I love you. I love you very, very much Ayako. And I'm not just saying it because we've been through so much in the last… almost three months, no, I'm saying it because I mean it. When I come to visit I'll bring you something special. But until then, I'll be thinking of you._

_Love always,_

_Hideki." _

Ayako let the letter settle on her lap as she brought her hands up to her face and wiped the tears away. Ami came back into the room and set a try down on the table.

"You ok?" she asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Ayako gave a small nod and picked up the letter.

"Wrinkles wrote me a letter." She said as she waved it around before placing it back in the envelope and on the table.

"Who's 'wrinkles'?" Ami asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Hideki-sama," she answered with a small smile.

"Oh," Ami didn't quite get it at first, but then it clicked. _"Oh!" _there was a sly grin on her lips, one that Ino wore when she wanted answers. "So… what did he have to say?" even her voice sounded like Ino's; that incredulous, I-want-information-now sound that Ino usually had when she wanted to gossip.

"It's private." Ayako answered with a wave of her hand.

"It's not so private when I can see you've cried over whatever he had to say." Ami shot back. Ayako glared at her.

"How about you give me the food and not question your superior." She fired back. Ouch, burn.

"Sorry captain… it's just weird seeing you in here when you're obviously stronger than a lot of people I know." Ami frowned as she picked up the tray and set it in Ayako's lap.

"Would you like to stay and shoot the breeze until your shift is over? We can always say that I was sick most of the night." Ayako whispered with a sly smirk. Ami nodded in return. The girls struck up a friendship quickly, finding that they had the same interests and such.

~xxx~

Tsunade was on time, as usual. The last ten days were hell, with Ayako still sleeping; Kankuro going home tomorrow and Hideki out of there three days ago, things weren't quite as they should be. Tsunade had timed it so that she would arrive with the guard change and would ask if Ayako had woken up in the night… but so far, nothing. Today, however, was a different story.

"She woke up around three and was sick most of the night, so I stayed with her." Ami said as Tsunade pulled them off to the side. "She's still up. Captain said she couldn't sleep anymore." Kin gave a nod to confirm Ami's story.

"Alright, you two can leave." Tsunade whispered and prepared to walk into the room. Squaring her shoulders, Tsunade burst into the room with a grin on her lips. "You're finally awake… about damn time."

"Good morning Tsunade-sama, I'm glad to see you too." Ayako responded with a smile of her own.

"Let's get down to business, shall we." Tsunade said walking farther into the room. "I need you to sit up and face the wall." Ayako did as she was told and sat up. Tsunade removed the bandages and looked over her wounds. "It looks like you have an infection." She commented as her hands moved over Ayako's sensitive skin. Five minutes later, Tsunade was bandaging her wounds after she put a funky smelling ointment on her back then pulled Ayako's shirt back over her head. Then she looked over the wound on her leg and healed it.

That's what Itachi found when he walked into the room that morning. He had been so stunned by Ayako that he dropped the bento box that Sakura had prepared for him.

"Aneki…!" Akito shouted from the doorway then bolted and hopped up onto the bed. He threw his arms around her neck in a bone-crushing hug.

"Careful squirt, I am injured you know." Ayako said as she hugged him back with equal force. "How's come you're not in school today?"

Akito looked up at his sister and smiled. "It's Sunday silly. Don't you know what day it is?" Ayako shook her head. "You've been asleep for like… ten days." That was a shock to her system. Akito hugged her again. "I'm really glad you're home onee-sama." She smiled and rubbed his back.

"I'm glad to be home. I missed you Kito-kun."

**A/N: **chapter 11 down. Send me a shout and tell me what you think, please and thank you.


	12. Chapter 12

First Date

(**A/N: **This chapter is a little sappy, I will admit that but it does pick up. Man, I want White Castle so bad right now… damn you Harold and Kumar!!! Anyway, enjoy the show.)

~xxx~

Ayako heaved a sigh as Itachi left the room. Visiting hours were finally over. This would be the first time she'd been alone since she woke up this morning and she was looking forward to responding to Hideki's letter. She loved her family and friends very much but damn… their nonstop questioning –more like interrogation had her more than a little put off. Ayako swore if Hinato asked one more question about the cell she was in, she would have strangled him. His parents, Naruto and Ino, were no different; constantly yet subtlety asked her about what they did to her.

On Ayako's end, she just simply said she didn't want to relive the nightmare and she certainly wasn't going to tell them what happened with her brothers in the room. Of course when they left, Ibiki was next to appear and he prodded her for more information to which she wrote down on a piece of paper and threw it at him. He grinned and left her alone for the rest of the day. Then there was Riku she had to contend with. Dear God, she was going to break something if the insanity didn't end soon. Thankfully, visiting hours ended and Ayako was left to her own devices.

With pen and paper in hand, Ayako frowned… she didn't know what to say. Of course she was elated that he was alright and back home with his family. Maybe she would start there…

"_Hideki,_

"_You have no idea how glad I am to hear that you're… alive. I found out when I read your letter when I woke up at three this morning. Speaking of which, it's been a nonstop circus here since I woke up. I kinda wish I had stayed asleep but then I wouldn't have read your letter and my parents would still be worried… and the list goes on." _

She paused in her writing and turned to look at his letter that still sat on the table. Ayako remembered exactly what it said thanks to the photographic memory the Sharingan blessed her with. She smiled fondly and turned back to her own letter.

"_I am rather curious as to what this 'something special' you're bringing me on your next visit is. But I'll wait until then. Hey, um… I want to tell you something but I'm not sure how. I'm not very good at expressing how I feel and besides, important things are best spoken face to face and from the heart. So, I guess you're just going to have to wait until you visit to hear what else I have to say. Well, tell your parents and Aki-kun that I said 'hi' and I'll see you in two weeks. I just wanted to respond to your letter and let you know that I'm ok now. Oh, and I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. And Hideki, I love you too._

_Hugs and Kisses from the hospital,_

_Ayako." _

She closed the letter and stuck it in an envelope; she'd ask Sakura to send it for her tomorrow. Right now though, she needed to eat and get some rest before the circus showed up again tomorrow.

~xxx~

He had been depressed since he left the hospital. Sure he missed his family dearly while he was gone but Hideki really wanted to be there for Ayako. And when her letter arrived five days after his departure from the village, Hideki was excited. He practically ripped the envelope open as his eyes devoured her letter. He whooped loudly while spinning around the courtyard.

"I take it that you've received good news." Ken said from the doorway.

"It's Ayako, she's awake and doing fine." Hideki beamed as he walked towards his father. Ken was glad to see his eldest son smiling again. It had been a miracle that the boy survived in the first place and now, now Hideki was back to his old self; no longer moping about or worried for Ayako.

"That's wonderful news, son. Is there any other news of her condition?" he asked with a smile.

"She didn't say. All she said was 'I just wanted to respond to your letter and let you know that I'm ok now'." Hideki repeated as he held up the letter. Ken's smile grew a little more when he caught the last few lines of her letter.

"Why don't you send her another letter… make it a sort of routine until we leave?" Ken suggested watching Hideki closely. He knew his son felt something for the heiress but he had no idea how she felt, that is until he caught the 'I love you too' in the letter she sent. Hideki made a leap for the door and ran down the hall.

"I'll get started now!" he shouted as he zipped passed the servants in the hall. And he did, having a new letter ready to be sent by dinner. Then Ayako sent one back a few days later. Thus their routine was born. He would receive a letter and send another back and vice-versa, all the way up until two days before Hideki and Ken were scheduled to leave.

~xxx~

Ayako was being released from the hospital today. She couldn't have been more excited except the fact that Hideki wouldn't be there until the following day. But she took it in stride and smiled as she was wheeled out of the hospital. And the sight that greeted her made her gasp. Hideki, Ken, Aki and Haruka stood with Tsunade in front of the hospital, waiting for Ayako. They were a day early but she didn't care, Hideki was there and smiling at her.

Itachi wheeled her down the ramp and pushed her towards the noble family. As soon as he stopped, Ayako was out of the chair and hugging Hideki. They whispered a few words between them then separated with huge grins on their lips. She greeted the rest of the noble family much the same way, not one of them minding the informality of it. They preferred it actually. Seeing as how Ayako did her best to protect Hideki and he ended up saving her life. So that had to mean something, right?

"Now, remember Ayako," Tsunade started after the greetings had died down. "No training for the next three weeks and the medicine will make you drowsy, so try no to fall asleep on your feet." She said with a grin. "I'm sure you want to go home and have a real shower, so we'll let you go. Hinato will bring the noble family by this afternoon, so rest up ok." Ayako nodded and smiled at Hideki.

"I'll see you all in a little while then." Ayako bowed rather awkwardly but managed to do it with little help from Itachi. "I do want to make a quick stop before we head home though." Itachi knew what she meant and nodded. Then they waved goodbye and headed for the flower shop. Now, Ayako wasn't allowed to walk too much, so Itachi helped her back into the wheelchair and he pushed her to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

~xxx~

"Well look at what we have here." Ino purred from behind the counter, already working to toss her apron aside.

"Hi Ino, I came to pick up some flowers." Ayako smiled as the older blonde walked around the counter and knelt next to her.

"Must be nice being pushed around by your father all day, huh? What's the occasion?" she asked with a playful smile. Ayako's smile wavered for a second before she answered.

"They're for Kabuto-san. I wasn't able to go to the funeral… so I guess carnations will do." Ino's smile fell completely as she gave a small nod. Sakura told Ino everything she knew about the incident and Kabuto's selfless had left an impression on everyone. Ino saw Hideki at the funeral and couldn't believe it. It took a long talk with Sakura to straighten things out.

"Sure thing sweetie, let me wrap some up for you." Ino said with a warm smile then stood and walked into the back room.

"Hey, dad?" Ayako whispered as she turned her head to look up at him.

"Yes Angel." He responded turning from an arrangement of tiger lilies with one in his fingers. Ayako looked lost as she averted his gaze for a moment then turned her eyes back to him.

"Did he, at least, have a proper burial?" she asked rather timidly as he onyx gaze eyed him pleadingly. Itachi placed the lily behind her ear and gave a tiny smile.

"That he did, I made sure of it." She smiled at that, turning back around in her chair as Ino came into the room.

"All right, carnations it is. Hey, the lily looks good there." She commented as Ayako turned her head away with a blush.

"Thanks obasan. How much do I owe you?"

"Nah, don't mention it… consider it a gift." Ayako scoffed.

"That's what you said the last time… and if I remember correctly, you cornered me and made me cough up info." Ino was flabbergasted.

"Well I never… I didn't corner you, I just demanded answers." She defended as she crossed her arms.

"That's the same thing." Itachi said as he took hold of the wheelchair and propelled them towards the door. They were gone before Ino could get another word in. She stomped her foot but smiled all the same. It was nice to see Itachi out and about with his favorite child. Well, it was a little weird seeing the proud Uchiha clan leader pushing a wheelchair around and with Ayako in it no less! Had she not cut her finger on the paper while wrapping the flowers, Ino could have sworn she was dreaming.

~xxx~

The cemetery laid just passed the memorial stone on the east end of the village. Itachi and Ayako didn't speak much as they came up to the fresh grave. The headstone didn't have the Leaf emblem carved on it like the others did, but his name was clearly visible on the chiseled stone. Kabuto's last words were also written on the headstone along with the words, _'He saved their lives for the sake of the Fire Nation.' _

"He's a hero that will never truly know what he did for us." Ayako spoke as she leaned forward and placed the flowers next to the headstone. Itachi said nothing as he let her words mull over in his mind. There were so many ways he could take what she said but he settled for the friendship his daughter shared with the noble son.

"I believe he knew what he was doing." He said as Ayako sat back in the wheelchair. "Not many people willingly forfeit their lives because they can." Itachi was looking at the headstone while speaking so he couldn't see the thoughtful look on her face. "Kabuto-san gave up his life to cleanse his soul… not for himself but for the two of you."

"What do you mean by that papa?" she asked watching a hummingbird flutter about the other headstones. Itachi placed his hands on her shoulders and gave a light squeeze.

"He saw something in the two of you that made him want to help you." He explained while leaning over to whisper in her ear. "That and you believed him, believed in him, trusted him and helped him in return." Ayako was nodding, seeing his reasoning. It made sense the more she thought about it. Though she knew he was merely guessing at Kabuto's true intentions. But it still made sense.

"Thank you… both of you." She whispered, to Itachi and to Kabuto's spirit that seemed to linger in the air around her.

"Let's go home. The boys are going crazy without you." He told her and turned her in the direction of home; the Uchiha district.

~xxx~

"Can't I at least walk through the front door?" she whined while being pushed through the crowded streets of the district. It seemed that everyone had stopped what they were doing to welcome her back… even those outside of the clan had smiled and voiced their welcomes.

"You can walk through the front door _if _you can make it up the front steps." Itachi responded only to hear Ayako heave a sigh of defeat. Even the puppy face had no effect on him. There was just no winning when you went against Uchiha Itachi. They came to a stop at the stairs and she stood up slowly, grabbing a hold of the railing. Her leg was still sore from the wound and lying in bed for the better half of three weeks, thus making walking a slight task.

"Here goes nothing." Ayako whispered as she lifted one foot and placed it on the first step. With a grunt, she put her weight on her foot and started walking. It took her a minute to walk up the seven steps to the front door, but she did it and Itachi was smiling at her accomplishment.

"I guess that means you can walk through the front door." He commented dryly as he hefted the wheelchair up the stairs and opened the door. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Ayako strode through the entryway and kicked off her sandals.

"Hello people, I'm home." She called walking down the hall toward the living room. There were running footsteps coming from upstairs. She could see her brothers pause at the top of the stairs, staring at her as if her were a mirage. Ayako opened her arms and smiled at her brothers. "What? Don't I get hugs anymore?" Shiro and Akito bolted down the stairs and just about knocked her over as they barreled into their older sister.

"I've never been so happy to see you." Well, that made Ayako feel _so _much better.

"Gee, thanks Shiro. I'm glad to see you too." She said dryly.

"I didn't mean it like that. God, you're impossible." The boy responded as he looked up at her. "You look pale… are you sure they didn't let you loose too soon?" Shiro asked as Ayako glared at him.

"I'll give you a five second head start… and I suggest you run fast." She said watching him smirk.

"With that limp… I'd be long gone in two seconds." Oh, how the kid was asking for it.

"Ah, but you forget otouto… I can still throw kunai." That shut him up. "Seriously, I'm glad to see you, both of you." Smartly, Akito decided to keep quiet… even though his brother and sister were only kidding.

"Yak-chan, your stuff is ready for your shower." Sakura called from upstairs.

"I'll be right up." She called back and knelt, difficultly, in front of her brothers. Ayako kissed them both on the cheek and gave them a bear hug before standing and making her way up the stairs. With help from the banister, Ayako made it up the fifteen steps and around the corner. She paused to catch her breath and continued on to her room which, thankfully, was the first door on the right. "And please, stop calling me 'Yak-chan'!" her bedroom door slammed closed.

~xxx~

Hideki picked up his gift for Ayako and peered inside the box. Just the one he wanted… he only prayed Ayako would like it too. That and he hoped Karachi wouldn't get pissed. Of course, he had help picking it out with his new friends Hinato and Hattori. The boys had spent most of the morning looking for the right gift for Ayako and thus they settled on the little thing in the box that whimpered to be let out.

"Are you sure getting her that is alright? I mean, won't Itachi-sama have a fit?" Hinato asked scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"I spoke with Itachi-sama when I arrived this morning and this was on the list of things he found appropriate." Hideki said with a smile.

"I must say that it's good to see Itachi-sama finally letting Ayako do as she wishes." Hattori said as they turned the corner and entered the Uchiha district.

"She's always been able to do what she wished." Hinato said with a smile. "It's just the whole 'boyfriend' thing that he's had a problem with."

"Do you think he'll have a problem if I asked her out?" the hesitant question was met with silence for a moment.

"You saved her life, there's no way in hell he'll have a problem with you." Hinato proclaimed loudly. There was a tiny yip from inside the box.

"Hinato, I think you scared the little guy." Hattori said as he looked through one of the holes on the side.

"Nonsense, he totally agrees with me. Right boy?" he patted the box and received a growl in return.

"That makes me feel so much better." He somberly sighed while peering into the box. A little floppy-eared, grey head popped out and licked his chin. "Thanks for the support little guy, now get back in there or you'll ruin the surprise."

"So… Itachi finally broke down and let her get a dog?" Sasuke asked from behind with a smirk.

"It's a ninken from the Inuzuka clan… if that helps." Hinato said as they turned and waited for him to catch up. Sasuke peered into the box and smirked. No, he smiled. Wait, what? Oh my god… Sasuke smiled! It was small… but still there as he looked over the pooch.

"Ayako's always wanted a puppy." He said as he reached in and ran his fingers over the pup's snout. "And with him being a ninken, Itachi won't have any objections."

"Hi guys, what's in the box?" Ayako asked as she walked around the corner. They guys had been standing in front of the house for the last five minutes… and Ayako got tired of waiting for them. Hideki blushed as he turned to face her. With a not-so-gentle shove from Hinato, Hideki walked towards her and smiled.

"He's for you." He said holding the box out to her. As if on cue, the puppy's head popped up and stared at her with big blue eyes. Her mouth dropped open as she stared right back.

"Ruff, ruff!" the dog happily barked with his tail beating against the inside of the box. Ayako plucked him from the box and beamed at the sliver/grey Great Dane pup. He licked her face making Ayako giggle in delight as she held him close.

"Thank you so much Hideki. I love him." She smiled as she looked at him. Hideki smiled back and gave a small nod. She would have kissed him had there not been prying eyes.

"What will you name him?" Hattori asked as the rest of the group gathered around her and the small dog. Good question. She held the pup up to her face and looked into his eyes.

"How about… Duke?" she asked and received a tight bark in response. Ayako smiled. "Alright, Duke it is." The group went inside after that and Ayako showed off her new pet to everyone in the house. You see, Sakura planned a 'Welcome Home' party for Ayako and there were a lot of people floating around the house.

She introduced the noble family to many of her colleagues and friends they hadn't met yet. Duke walked about the house as if scoping out the guests for possible threats. Well duh, he is a ninken after all. An hour later, Duke returned to trailing after Ayako as she waved her way through the room and towards the back of the house. They slipped out the back and into the courtyard where it was much quieter. Ayako picked up a small stick and tossed it into the yard, watching as Duke ran after it then brought it back. He laid it at her feet and moved to stand next to her, waiting for her to throw it again.

"Good boy, Duke. Go get it!" she said and tossed the stick again. Ayako giggled as the puppy took off after the stick and clumsily brought it back. He'd get better at it, she knew that. At least she had some quiet time to think and play with Duke. There were footsteps behind her. Ayako didn't need to turn around to know that Itachi was watching her. He sat down on the porch and motioned for her to sit with him as Duke ran back with the stick in his mouth. She did with a smile.

"Hideki asked me permission to date you." He stated, getting straight to the point. Ayako didn't say anything for a moment, letting the new information digest in her mind.

"And?" she asked while Duke chewed contentedly on the stick in her lap.

"When ever you feel ready to, you may go with him." He said while Ayako stared at him. Then she beamed at him and threw her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you papa." She whispered into his chest while his arms secured her there. He let her go after a time and together, they walked back inside with Duke hot on their heels. Ayako found Hideki minutes later and they arranged it so they could get together the following night.

~xxx~

"What's this I hear about a Code 4?" Ino called as she entered the house around four in the evening. Sakura's big mouth again. Ino found out later on at the party that Hideki and Ayako were going out and only now was called in to help the girl out. Ayako was currently scrambling around in her room looking for something to wear when Ino and Sakura walked into her room. Sakura had been able to work the stiffness out of her leg so she was able to get around a lot better today. Duke lay on the bed, watching with his head cocked to the side as his master frantically dug through her closet.

"My god… where the heck is it?!" she growled turning away from the closet and towards the dresser. Ayako was looking for one item in particular; a shirt that she had gotten for her sixteenth birthday. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans that clung to her hips, very comfortable and made to fit, a white, strapless bra and her black sandals. Now, the red, wide-neck silk shirt was missing. Ayako growled again and stalked towards her dresser. "I swear if it's not here I'm going to scream."

"Missing something important?" Ino asked as she took in the sight of the raven-haired girl. Ayako was ready to give up when Sakura produced said shirt from a box.

"I figured you'd want it pressed before you went out." There was a pause as if Ayako would explode. But she smiled instead.

"I thought I was going crazy." Ayako said as she took the shirt from her mother and slipped it over her head.

"Let's do something about that hair of yours." Ino stepped forward and pushed Ayako towards the bathroom. By now, Duke had had enough and hopped off the bed, making his way down the stairs. He found Itachi lounging on the chair and joined him.

"Girls huh?" he said to the pup and received a low grunt in response.

~xxx~

Hideki was early but no one seemed to mind. He had arrived with Hinato, his ANBU guard for the evening, and they sat in the living room with Itachi and Duke.

"I swear to god Ino; one more picture and I'll pulverize you!" they heard Ayako yell from upstairs. She certainly sounded pissed and irritated.

"Spoil sport!" Ino said back and the bedroom door opened. Sakura and Ino came down the stairs first and walked into the living room. Then Ayako was descending the stairs wearing her blue jeans and the red silk top she had been searching for with a light jacket draped over one arm. Her hair had been pulled bad into a bun with a senbon holding it in place. Make up minimal to nonexistent, so little you could barely tell.

Hideki had to take a deep breath to keep himself from passing out. She was beautiful. He stood to meet her wearing a blue dress shirt and a black pair of pants that he had barrowed from Hinato. Hideki smiled as Ayako moved away from the stairs and walked towards the living room.

_Click_

"Ino, that's enough for crying out loud!" Ayako hissed as Ino put her hands behind her back.

"It's not my fault you two are so cute together." She defended with a knowing smile. Itachi stood from the couch and walked over to the pair.

"I want you home by eleven." He said then shook Hideki's hand and gave Ayako a quick hug before retreating to the back office. Duke sat by the door, an expectant eye on the pair. A little startled, Ayako knelt down and smoothed Duke's coat.

"Stay with papa. I'll be home soon." She said with a smile.

Ayako knew Itachi was having a hard time letting go and hated change. And with her relationship with Hideki at the forefront of that… Itachi had been reluctant to let it go any further than it had. Now though, he was giving her a chance to do what she wanted while watching from afar, just in case. The couple left a minute later… Ino had tried to take another picture to which Ayako snatched the camera away and threw it outside.

~xxx~

They walked down the road hand-in-hand with Hinato watching them from a distance away. He was the ANBU escort for the evening, but he didn't want to impede on their date. So, Hinato hung back a few yards; far enough to not over hear anything but close enough to keep an eye on them.

"You look beautiful." Hideki said out of the blue while they walked. Ayako gave a coy smile as she looked up at him.

"You look good too. I was curious as to what you looked like in normal clothing and not the fancy ones I'm used to seeing you in." She looked him over and smiled a little more. "Not bad." He gave a tiny smile of his own and gripped her hand tighter.

"I have a question." He said with his head cocked to the side. "Why did Itachi-sama shake my hand?"

Ayako giggled and slipped her arm around Hideki's while leaning her head on his shoulder. "That's papa's way of showing he trusts you." Then she stopped walking and made him turn to face her. In doing so, Hinato stopped walking and turned his gaze to the buildings around them. "You saved my life, Hideki. I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for me; all I wish is that you could stay with me." Hideki's hand came up and cupped her cheek.

"That's going to be a little difficult but I'll try." He smiled leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. They separated after a moment and stared at each other.

"I heard you back in the hospital. I heard you before you left." She whispered to him with flushed cheeks.

"I meant every word." He replied as his forehead rested on hers. Warmth spread through their bodies –everything felt… _right_ at that moment. They resumed walking a moment later but not before they shared another kiss and a few whispered words.

The restaurant was spacious yet quiet. The couple sat by the window talking about anything and everything under the sun. Most of the time they talked about their time in the cell which prompted the question; what about the future? The bond they had formed only grew during those days in the Akatsuki base and now they weren't sure if it was truly love they felt or just the comfort in knowing the other was alright.

"This does put a damper on things." Hideki commented watching Ayako nod in agreement.

"Well, if it doesn't work out this way, at least we know we can still be friends." She said with a light frown on her lips. That didn't sound right to her… didn't like the way it felt in her heart. She knew she was wrong… not about the friends half but the working out part. Ayako could make anything work but Hideki was the noble son and she would inherit the Uchiha clan. How the hell was that supposed to work out? She lost her appetite thinking about it.

"I'm sure we can make this work." Hideki said as he took her hands in his. "Let's test the waters for a while and if we feel that we're getting somewhere, we can talk to our parents and work something out. We just have to give it some time."

"You're right." Ayako agreed with a smile. "If you really want something, you have to work for it."

"Let's get out of here, it's getting late and I'm sure Itachi-sama is waiting up for you." With that said, Hideki paid for the meal and they exited the restaurant.

The walk home was a quiet one. They were content in the knowledge that they were trying. Hideki and Ayako turned the corner with Hinato not far behind… and they stopped. There were two dark figures standing in the way, blocking the road to the Uchiha district.

"It's about damn time you showed up." One of them said the voice so familiar it haunted Ayako's dreams. "Now, come with us or I'll kill Blondie for good this time."

"You can't fight in your condition, Ayako-san. Come with us and no harm will come to you." The other said in a calm and even tone.

Ayako's worst nightmare now stood before her… and she wasn't going to give into them.


	13. Chapter 13

And The Winner Is…

(**A/N: **This chapter is action packed and is dedicated to my loyal readers. Thank you for your support… and this is _not _the last chapter. Enjoy.)

~xxx~

Itachi sat on the couch watching the clock. It was 10:58 in the evening; they should be walking through the door any minute now. Duke lay with his head on Itachi's lap, eyes glued on the hallway. Something shifted; the air seemed to become heavier as a minute ticked by on the clock. Duke sensed it too. His ears popped up as he lifted his head, turning it toward the window. A snarl slipped passed the Dane's jowls as he leaped for the window, growling and barking at something unseen.

A second later, Itachi felt the ominous chakra surge that brought the dog to the window. Itachi was off the couch and heading up the stairs in a flash. Sakura sprang out of bed when the door thrust open and Itachi swooped in, grabbing a weapons pouch from the closet.

"W-what's going on?" she asked, bewildered by his flurrying movements.

"Wake Sasuke and stay with the boys." He said in a clipped tone; he meant business.

"It's Ayako… isn't it?" Itachi didn't answer right away. Instead, he paused in his movements and turned to face her. The barking downstairs grew louder, angrier. "Bring her home, ok?" he nodded to her and vanished from sight. Without further delay, Sakura rushed out of her room and woke Sasuke who left immediately. She then went to the boys' room and got them out of bed, leading them into the council chambers to wait for Itachi and Ayako.

~xxx~

Hinato moved to stand between the Akatsuki and the couple he was assigned to protect. Surprised was hardly the word to describe the emotion running through his body. Acting on instinct, Hinato reached for a kunai only to stop… the big blue fish took a step closer.

"Get out of the way or I'll cleave you in half." Kisame growled eyes focused on the raven haired girl glaring at him from behind the blonde. Letting his chakra leak out, Hinato glared at Kisame and let his hand rise, reaching behind his shoulder for his katana.

"Carful," Ayako warned. "His sword eats chakra." Hinato nodded at her words as he fell into a fighting stance.

"And the other?" he asked chancing a glance over his shoulder to his long time friend.

"Puppet master." She answered lips thinning to a grim line. "Lend me a kunai." Ayako said as he reached forward and slipped a sharp tool from his holster.

A grin found its way to Kisame's lips. He wanted nothing more than to beat her senseless for the low blow back at base but he was told not to get carried away. So, he settled on not killing her until she fulfilled her purpose.

"Ruff, ruff." A dog barked off in the distance then the proud Uchiha Itachi appeared in a plume of smoke followed shortly by Sasuke. Sharingan flashed dangerously in the moonlight, and not just Itachi's and Sasuke's, Ayako had activated hers while the two Akatsuki members split their attention between the groups in front and behind them.

"Duke," Itachi spoke quietly. "Take them home." The ninken gave a grunt of acknowledgement while Ayako and Hideki moved cautiously around the two black clad men staring her down. As soon as they passed Sasori and Kisame, Ayako paused and looked to her father.

"Be careful, otousan." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "You too, ojisan," Sasuke and Itachi inclined their heads in response. Then she grabbed Hideki's hand and took off after the grey ninken that stopped and waited for them. Damn smart for a puppy if you asked her. They reached the main house in no time, barreling through the front door and into the living room.

"Ayako, this way," Sakura called from down the hall. Without hesitating, Ayako tugged Hideki down the hall and into the chambers. The room was dark, the only light coming from a candle on the desk. Sakura thought it wise to keep the house dark… just in case.

"Aneki, I have your gear." Shiro said as the door closed behind them. Ayako strode over to her brother and took her things from his outstretched hands. Walking over to the dark corner, Ayako faced the wall and removed her shirt, depositing it on the chair before dawning her ANBU top and chest plate.

"We have to move to a safer location and evacuate the compound before someone gets hurt." Ayako commanded as she strapped her short sword to her back and reached for her med kit and kunai holster.

"Why? We're safe here." Akito said as he clung to Sakura's hip. Ayako sighed and knelt before her brother.

"Do you remember those bad guys I told you about?" at his nod, she continued. "They're fighting with otousan, Sasuke-ojisan and Hinato-niisan right now and they're just down the road. Someone is bound to get hurt in the cross fire and there could be more bad guys on the way." She explained to him with a frown.

"She's right, otouto, we have to leave." Shiro said with a nod.

"We'll go out the back. Shiro, take your brother and Hideki-sama to Tsunade's office and don't leave her sight." Sakura said while reaching for her stored weapons pouch.

"Demo…" he began to protest but Ayako cut him off.

"This is your first S-class mission, Uchiha Shiro. Do as you are told." This wasn't his sister talking, but the captain of ANBU squad three. And when she gave you a task, you did it… no questions asked. He suddenly straightened and gave her a salute; cute despite the situation.

"You can count on me." The eleven-year-old said with a grin.

"Is there anything I can do?" Akito asked as he looked up at his sister. Onyx orbs softened as she looked at her scared brother.

"Yes there is. Look after Duke for me. It's too dangerous for him to be out there." She said with a soft smile. "I'm intrusting him to you until I come get you." Akito nodded and hugged her waist. Then Ayako turned her attention to Hideki. He looked out of place at the moment; wide-eyed and shocked yet remained as calm as possible.

"Be careful out there." He commented lightly as she walked towards him. She nodded to him in response and handed the kunai she liberated from Hinato.

"Take care of them for me." She whispered to him while her hands wrapped around his. He nodded to her. "And don't do anything stupid to get yourself hurt, ok?" she snickered at his scowl.

"I can say the same for you." Hideki snapped back with a playful smile. Ayako leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his lips before stepping away. They had wasted enough time already.

"I'll see you later boys." And just like that, Ayako and Sakura slipped out the office window as the boys took to the hallways and out the back of the house.

~xxx~

Only five minutes had passed in the time Itachi and Sasuke had arrived. Kisame had made the first move, charging the two with a wide swing of the sword. It was easily dodged as the pair crisscrossed paths with weapons drawn. Sasori's puppet lurched forward; poisoned blades peered menacingly from under its robes as it came closer to its target. Hinato sidestepped and rocketed towards the puppet master, eyes glowing angrily as he punched said Akatsuki member.

_Bam, bam, crash, thud_

A white-haired man was tumbling through the wall on the east side. From the hole emerged Ayako in all her glory.

"You're not the one I want." She hissed at the Jashinist with a malicious smirk.

"Fuck… that hurt." Hidan snapped as he struggled to stand. Stunned, Ayako stepped around the fallen man, preparing a fire jutsu. There was a sudden burst of chakra to the south. She turned to see another Akatsuki member making his way towards her at lightning speed. "'Bout time you fucking showed up Kakuzu."

Itachi and Sasuke were by Ayako's side in a flash, all three prepared to unleash hell.

"Where are the boys?" Itachi asked as Hinato joined their group, each facing a different direction.

_Gong, gong, gong… _that was the alarm at the tower, the boys made it.

Ayako smirked. "By the sound of it, it seems they've made it to Tsunade." She glanced at her father. "Mom's on the other side with ANBU evacuating the compound."

Sasori sighed. Their mission was to get the girl and get out, simple as that. Now, the whole village knew and he could sense more ANBU on their way. "Let's finish this and get back." He growled. "Kisame, get the girl."

"With pleasure." The Kiri-nin grinned and licked his lips.

"Oh, goody… just the one I wanted." Ayako grinned back and reached for her sword. She charged the two men before her, using Sasori's shoulder as a spring board to launch herself into the air. Gathering chakra in her fist, Ayako landed a monstrous blow that knocked Kisame on his back, sliding to a halt with his feet over his head.

Not taking any chances, Ayako began a string of hand signs and hopped back a few feet.

"Katon Housenka!" her voice was loud and clear in Kisame's ears despite his concussion. The fire jutsu reached him before he could get to his feet and it was damn hot too; burning his blue skin in seconds. There was a sudden rush of water. The fucker worked a jutsu in within the time it took her to form the seals. Shit!

"Water beats fire, bitch." She heard him say as he laughed. Lucky for Ayako, she was a wind user too. Kisame had summoned his sharks while he grinned at her. "I think you can still work for us with only one leg." Ayako could see the big, blue beasts circling under her; she had to think of something… and quick.

'_Well, I haven't gone ice skating in a while.' _That was it! Her hands moved in a blur, forming the correct signs for the blizzard jutsu. Thrusting her hands into the water, the bitter cold wind froze everything it touched which included the sharks that were a few feet away.

"Wind beats water, dumbass!" she snapped back and stood. Ayako and Itachi had trained like this before, forming her chakra into blades under her feet. She had found that it was easier to control her movements better this way then trying to run with chakra infused steps. Drag was minimal as was the risk of sliding out of control while she 'skated' across the freshly iced streets.

Hands ablaze with blue chakra, Ayako sped towards the lumbering blue figure. Kisame planted his chakra infused feet on the ice; he had never come across anything like this before. He was stunned to silence when everything around him froze in thick ice. She moved faster than he could track; gliding past him as her hand stretched out and touched his leg.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" he roared as his leg buckled under him. Kisame slipped on the ice and fell to his knees. Samehada slid from his grasp, unable to keep a good hold on the sword any longer. She had touched his arm without him realizing it.

"I cut your chakra circulation off and immobilized your limbs." Ayako stated matter-of-factly with a sly grin on her plump lips. It all happened so fast, Kisame had no time to register what happened. One second he was on his knees glaring at her and the next, there was this incredible pain in his chest as he feel back and stared unseeingly up at the sky. Kisame was dead before he hit the ground.

Her fingers tingled from the lightning attack but that was expected. Ayako stared down and the pool of blood under the blue-skinned Kiri-nin and smirked. But her smirk faded when she felt an ominous chakra surge erupt from around the corner. Itachi flew by, skidding to a halt on the ice. He stood at full height while wiping blood from his lip. Her gaze landed on Madara as he emerged from the shadows, smirking like the devil himself.

Madara turned his gaze to her then back to Itachi. "It seems I've chosen well." His smirk grew wider as Itachi growled at him. "Her eyes are perfect and she's close to the Kyuubi containers." Madara was practically glowing with mirth as he looked from father and daughter. "She's perfect for luring Kyuubi to me." Then he was running, charging forward towards Itachi with a sword at the ready.

There was no time to think… or even breathe for that matter. Ayako raced towards them, chakra enhanced feet carried her faster than she thought possible. In the blink of an eye, she found herself standing between her father and the madman that was her ancestor with her arms spread out. Madara didn't register her presence until the sword had run her through.

"Why?" he questioned in a whisper as her blood seeped through her shirt.

"I would rather die than serve you or let my family fall at your whim." She hissed in return and grabbed his arm, forcing the sword to bury itself to the hilt. "You have nothing without my eyes and my brothers will never go through the pain to gain Mangekyou," Ayako spat as blood bubbled from her lips. "No matter what dimension you zap yourself to, you will not escape this attack."

Madara could only stair as Ayako's eyes faded from their crimson color, turning an off shade of gray –cataracts, blood running down her pale cheeks.

"_Amaterasu," _she breathed and a black flame ignited on his chest… and there was no way to stop the all-consuming fire once it started. Madara released his grip on the sword and flew backwards, swatting vigorously at his chest. But it didn't matter, Amaterasu burns for seven days and seven nights before it extinguishes itself. For the lack of better term, Madara was screwed. He vanished from sight, and finally, Ayako allowed herself to feel the pain in her abdomen.

She had won the fight but at a price. To release such an attack used a considerable amount of chakra and strained the eyes tremendously. Ayako blinded herself with the attack. And because Madara was such a powerful opponent, Ayako sacrificed the sight in both her eyes in the point-blank attack.

She fell to her knees, unable to keep standing any longer. Itachi hadn't moved from his spot, his eyes glued on the girl who just saved his life at the cost of her vision. It wasn't until she cried out for him that Itachi allowed his feet to carry him the short distance to her side. And when she spoke again, he knew she needed Tsunade's help.

"Hospital… now…"

~xxx~

Rumors spread quickly, about a half hour after they received the news of Ayako's victory, Hideki had heard at least nine different versions of the same story. Sitting in the hospital with the gossip mongers right around the corner wasn't much of a help either. He heard what they said, about how Ayako was stabbed a hundred times and then set on fire… things that made him cringe.

"_Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear." _He told himself as his eyes closed in silent prayer. Itachi looked to high strung to talk, Sasuke sat in the corner with his head hung low and Hinato had just checked out of the hospital ten minutes ago with minor injuries. Hideki wanted to ask them what happened but the boys were sitting with Itachi, wide awake and clutching to Itachi's arms. Sakura was in the operating room assisting Tsunade, so really, there was no one he could ask… nor could he talk about it without alarming the boys. He sighed, it was damn close to 1:30 in the morning and his parents were probably worried sick. Speaking of which, they had just entered the building with an ANBU escort.

"Is everyone alright?" Haruka asked as she, Ken and Aki walked briskly towards the group.

"We don't know anything just yet." Sasuke responded without moving from his position.

"It's ok ojisan. Aya-chan is strong… I know she'll make it." Akito said as he stood and walked over to him. Sasuke allowed the young boy to sit on his lap. Switching gears, Sasuke looked around to find Hideki staring at his hands, as if trying to figure them out. Hakura and Ken sat on either side of him with Aki on Ken's lap.

"How was your date… other than the obvious?" he asked as Hideki looked up at him. All attention turned to Hideki, eyes glued to the teen with interest.

"We had a great time. A walk in the park, dinner and then we walked back to the district…" he trailed off then, not wanting to re-live the meeting with the two Akatsuki members. "We talked about many things during dinner; friends, family, the future… many things. We even talked about our time at the Akatsuki base."

"And what was your conclusion on the matter?" Itachi finally asked after being quiet for so long.

"We hadn't really decided anything when we left the restaurant." He answered and looked back to his hands. At that moment the OR light turned off and Tsunade stepped into the hall, a small smile on her lips. Everyone stood to greet her, the obvious questions in their eyes.

"She's fine now. We're moving her to recovery right now." As if on cue, the door opened again and Sakura pushed the gurney out of the room. Ayako looked a little worse for wear but better than she had when she was first brought in. Itachi and Hideki moved to either side of the gurney and helped Sakura push the bed down the hall to the appointed room. After everything was situated in the room, everyone left to get some much needed rest.

~xxx~

She sat up on the bed, sore, stiff and blind. There was no telling what time it was or how long she had been out but Ayako knew she didn't have to worry anymore. With a sigh, Ayako slipped out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. Though she was blind, Ayako knew every room in the hospital by heart and she made it without tripping. One accomplishment down next was to shower.

On instinct, her hand reached for the light switch and flicked it up. And she sighed again. It's not like she could actually see the blinding light in the bathroom flicker to life, though she did hear the slight hum of the florescent bulb. Either way, it was her decision to sacrifice her sight now she had to get used to it. With her other hand on the wall, Ayako made her way to the sink and searched for the shampoo and soap. Five minutes of searching yielded a number of items including a clean gown. She put the toilet lid down and set the items on top before reaching into the shower and turning on the water. It was hot but not too hot that it would burn her freshly healed wounds. Carefully slipping the gown off, Ayako sat down on the shower floor and let the water wash over her. So many things ran through her mind at that moment, all she could do was laugh.

It was a bitter laugh, she was alive and blind to the world. Yet, it was her choice. Did she regret her decision? No. She would just have to make due. Training would have to change; missions were plausible but not impossible but escorting the noble family would be. She was going to have to rely on help getting through the village. The bathroom door opening broke her from her thoughts as Tsunade poked her head in. Again, instinct took over and Ayako looked towards the door. Unseeing eyes blinked a few times before Tsunade spoke.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" she joked while walking over to the girl on the floor. Ayako leaned back against the wall as Tsunade sat down on the other side of the curtain. "You know, just because you're blind doesn't mean it's the end of the world." She sighed, watching as Ayako reached for the soap. Surprisingly, she found it without trouble.

"If I know where it is I can find it… I know this place like the back of my hand." Ayako said while lathering the soap in her hands with a wash cloth. "I guess this means I'm off the active duty roster for a while."

"Only until we find a way to heal your eyes," Tsunade stated as she reached for the shampoo. "I haven't washed your hair for you since you were four, I'd love to do it again if you don't mind." This was the grandmotherly side of Tsunade that few had ever seen. And it had always been an honor to Ayako to witness it for herself. Ayako could practically feel the big, shit-eating-grin on Tsunade's lips as she spoke.

"Sure, I don't mind at all."

The pair spent the next ten minutes chatting while Tsunade helped Ayako bathe and then she checked Ayako's wounds over.

~xxx~

Seeing her normally shining dark orbs now dull and gray was a sharp blow to Hideki's heart. Next to her smile, Hideki loved staring into her eyes the most… and now they were gone; replaced with a lifeless look that pained him every time gazed upon them. He listened intently as Ayako explained to her young brothers the events surrounding her loss of sight.

"Well, this'll make playing pranks on you a lot easier." Shiro joked while hugging Ayako tightly. "But I'm glad you're ok, aneki."

"I swear on all that is holy, if you play one prank on me… it'll be the end of you." She shot back playfully.

"Then let's not tell Hinato. You know how he is." Akito chimed in from his seat on Ayako's lap.

"He's going to find out one way or another." Sakura said while checking the charts for the umpteenth time in the last twenty minutes.

"Mom, put the clipboard down and back away slowly. Nothing has changed in the last five minutes, so there's no need to keep reading it." Ayako snapped as she heard the papers shifting again.

"I was just checking it sweetie, just in case I missed something." Sakura defended while placing the clipboard back on the foot of the bed.

"You never miss anything, especially when it comes to us, mom." Ayako said in reference to herself and her brothers. She had a point; Sakura was just trying to ease her mind with paperwork again.

"Tsunade-shishou says you can go home today, so let's get you dressed."

"May I speak with Hideki-sama for a minute before we get going?" she asked with her head turned to the side… trying to hide her blush. The room went silent for a moment before everyone complied.

"How are you really feeling?" he asked once the door closed and everyone was outside.

Ayako gave a small sigh. "I'm tired Hideki." She said while her hands played the sheets. "You should know this is the kind of life you should expect if we decide to stay together." God, she wanted to cry right now but that wouldn't do her any good.

Hideki walked over to the bed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Well then, I guess I'm going to have to train with your father so that I can protect you better." With his words, Ayako's arms wrapped around his waist as she buried her face in his chest, tears slipping from her eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered to him as her unseeing eyes closed in gratitude. This was why she loved Hideki; he understood and was willing to do whatever it took to keep them going. "What about your position? Surely, Ken-sama will not be pleased if you walked away from them."

Hideki chuckled. "I have the right to choose to take the title since I have a younger brother to take my place." He answered with a smirk.

"You do realize that when we wed, you have to take my name? After all, you will be marrying the heiress to a great clan of ninja." She said as she looked up at him. Ayako could feel his smile as he pressed his lips to hers.

"I wouldn't mind that. As long as it means we can be together, I'd do anything." Hideki whispered against her lips.

**A/N: **Sorry it took me so long to get this up… I've been busy with a new puppy and work along with a billion things all at once. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Don't miss 'Seeing You Clearly,' coming soon. Thank you for your support.


	14. Chapter 14

Seeing You Clearly

(**A/N: **Thanks for all the support, guys… and girls. I'm glad that you all liked my story. Ok, ok… on with the show. Geez, you don't have to be so pushy.)

~xxx~

Three months had slipped by without much notice. Not much had changed in that time, Ayako was letting her hair grow out again, she and Hideki still wrote back and forth (with help from Sakura) and Ayako was still blind. Sakura greeted Ayako with another letter from Hideki.

"You sure are popular this month. That's what, five, in the last two weeks?" she smiled cheekily at her daughter who blushed and turned her head away.

"Very funny mom," Ayako sneered in return, closing her blind eyes and rubbed her temples. "Can you read it to me later, my head hurts?"

Sakura knelt next to Ayako and put a hand to her forehead. "You don't have a fever. Is it just a headache or migraine?"

Ayako let out a sigh and lay down on the couch. "Sinuses mostly, though it is starting to turn into a migraine." As if to prove her point, Hinato burst through the front door.

"AYA-CHAN, I HAVE RAMEN!!"

"Put a lid on it, Hinato." She snapped, sitting up and scowling. "I'll eat and take some aspirin, if that doesn't work; I guess I'll take a nap." Sakura seemed satisfied with that and patted Ayako on the shoulder. They stood and walked into the kitchen.

It still amazed Hinato to see Ayako walking around the house as if there wasn't anything wrong with her eyes. Hideki had commented on it a few months back, saying that she looked like a zombie with a purpose. And they had to agree. The way she turned her head when she heard the slightest noise was chilling.

Her other senses were heightened in the absence of her sight, cocking her head to the side when the wind blew, the way her fingers lingered on objects as she passed them in the hall. Ayako knew when her mother was about to burn something as she sniffed the air in the kitchen. She would often tell Sakura if she used too much spice with one bite of her food, but finished the dish without complaint.

But above all, her ability to sense chakra had improved drastically. At any given time, she could tell you where exactly every one of her family members was and take a damn good guess as to what they were doing. Ayako had gone as far as to develop this skill and had told –warned- Sakura that Tsunade was about to bust down the front door in five minutes. She was right but was off by about thirty seconds… but that was good enough for her.

Ayako had it down to an exact science about a month after her release from the hospital. She had been able to tell the instant Hideki crossed into the village and had been able to follow his aura through the streets to her house. Ayako loved to hear that surprised hitch in his breathing whenever she answered the door and addressed him directly. The same went for whoever happened to be with him.

This week, however, Hideki and Haruka would not be accompanying Ken to the village. They were getting ready for some party for the summer solstice or something to that effect.

Back to the merry group in the kitchen, Sakura sat down with a bowl of hot pork ramen while Ayako chewed thoughtfully on her beef dish. Hinato had eaten already and had decided to pay a visit to his captain while she was on leave.

"I have a mission in a few hours." He spoke unusually softly. Ayako put her chopsticks down and slid her unseeing gaze in his direction.

"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… you see," he started but didn't finish as Ayako stood from the table and turned her body to face him.

"What information do you need?" she asked already knowing where he was going. She walked towards the courtyard with a wave of her hand, beckoning him to follow. Hinato stood and scurried to catch up to her.

"I just need the layout of the cellblock area." He said while stepping out into the afternoon sun.

"The door to my cell had the number 'five' written on it. From there, there's a long, dark hallway that leads to a single door. That is the entrance to the base from the cellblock. Beyond that is a network of tunnels but the second on the left leads to their leader's office." She said with her eyes closed while drawling the way with her finger in the air. Hinato scribbled on a piece of paper as she spoke, looking up when she stopped.

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

Ayako sighed. "It's highly unlikely that they're still there but they may have booby trapped the place until they deem it safe to use it again." She said lips pulling to a thin line. "Hinato… just be careful, ok?"

"Ah, you know me," he said.

"Yeah, you're brash, loud and helplessly stupid!" Ayako joked while crossing her arms over her chest. Hinato jumped back and pointed a finger at her.

"Take that back teme!" he yelled while she laughed.

"See? I was right." Her stomach growled at that point, making it blatantly clear that she was still hungry. "If we're finished, I need to eat." And just like that, the scowling blonde perked up and ushered her back into the house.

~xxx~

"How is that you can't see yet you can still make the best tea around?" Gansu asked placing his cup down with a soft clink.

Blind eyes stayed fixed on the floor. "A gift, I guess." Ayako answered with a soft smile. "It doesn't take much to memorize and perfect the art of tea, Gansu-san." Dainty hands folded on her lap, waiting for the three men to finish their drinks. Ken and Itachi sipped idly on their tea while watching the teen wait patiently for them.

"It's very good. The best I've had in a long time." Ken commented setting his cup down.

"You should try her coffee. There's nothing like a good kick in the pants to start off your day." Itachi smiled slightly watching Ayako blush and wring her hands in her kimono. How she got that thing on by herself was beyond him.

She bowed politely to them. "Thank you." Ayako smiled a little more and collected their cups before excusing herself.

"I would love to try her coffee." She heard Ken say as she walked down the hall. Busy-body Ayako cleaned the dishes and prepared lunch for the three of them while snaking on a few pieces of fish between plates. Her headache had long since disappeared and now she had boundless energy… but nothing really to do. So preparing tea and lunch had to suffice for now. Hell, even a walk through the district would be welcome if she didn't have guests over.

But in the middle of her preparations, it seemed that Tsunade wanted something. Ayako could feel the blonde's chakra approach from the front walk. Wiping her hands on a towel, Ayako walked to the door and opened it just as Tsunade raised her hand to knock.

"Good afternoon Tsunade-sama." She greeted the Hokage with a warm smile.

"What good timing." Tsunade commented as she looked over the girl before her. "Am I interrupting something?"

"I'm just preparing lunch. If you're hungry, I'm sure the guys won't mind your presence." Ayako said stepping aside to let her enter.

"Actually, that sounds nice." Ayako walked Tsunade through the house and led Tsunade to the back room. Ayako left them to talk while she hurriedly finished her work and snagged a bottle of sake from the cabinet.

The shoji door slid open and Ayako slipped in, unnoticed until the clank of dishes caught their attention.

"This is delicious." Tsunade purred after a few bites and the others had to agree. Ayako filled their glasses with sake and sat back down at the low table.

"Thank you very much, Tsunade-sama." She said and put her hands back in her lap. Ayako was the picture of what an heiress should be and Ken knew it. He had already seen the kick-ass kunoichi side of her, so seeing her primp and proper side was a pleasant surprise. She was the prime example of the wife he had been looking for, for Hideki.

"Do you feel well enough to train this evening?" Itachi asked setting down his glass. A smile bloomed on Ayako's face; she had been dying to get out of the house all month but with the infection still in her system, Ayako had to take things slow and sleep off the effects of the medication.

"I would like that very much, otousan." She answered with a firm nod.

"Let me make sure she's well enough for strenuous activities first." Tsunade interjected with a light frown. "I can't have one of my best shinobi put out of commission permanently." Fair enough. Tsunade was her attending physician after all. It didn't take long for the group to finish their meal.

~xxx~

Impressed was hardly the word to describe Ken's thoughts as he watched Ayako and Itachi attack each other with a ferocity unseen before. It was still unclear to him how Ayako knew where Itachi was and how she was able to attack him without tripping. But he soon realized that Duke was directing her movements. A loud bark equated to a punch, a grunt for a kick and so on. The two worked well a team, though he knew that Itachi was going easy on Ayako.

The match began to escalate, Ayako swept Itachi's legs while twisting her body to that her foot kept his head from hitting the ground. This always happened; they'd spar but never hurt the other on purpose. If it could be avoided, both would be there to keep the other from getting hurt. Ken raised an amused brow as Itachi stared up at Ayako with a shocked gaze. Tsunade seemed to be thinking the same thing for she stood with her mouth agape.

"H-how is this possible?" Itachi asked as he stood, dusting himself off.

Ayako shrugged. "Your chakra," she explained. "I can sense your chakra, when you fell, it flared so I adjusted to compensate." It was a simple explanation to her but to him it was like gibberish. She sighed, feeling his gaze on her. "Without my sight, my other senses are working to correct that. My ability to sense chakra grew far sharper than the rest, so I'm able to tell where you are and if you're in trouble by feeling your chakra."

"Ah," he seemed to understand her now. In either case, Itachi put his arm around her shoulders and led her back to Ken and Tsunade.

"Dinner's ready." Sakura called from the back door with an amused smile on her lips. She had watched most of the match, grinning all the while. She had been waiting for Itachi to see what Ayako could do… seeing is how she and Ayako had been working on her taijutsu for a while now. Even Sasuke helped out while Itachi was busy with the elders and all of the clan meetings. They made their way into the house and sat down for a nice meal.

~xxx~

The week came to a close and now it was time for Ken to return home. He was met at the gates by Tsunade, Ayako and Sasuke all waiting for him by the carriage. Ayako had a cup in her hands… steaming hot coffee, he hoped. And to his surprise, it was.

"Otousan said that you wished to try some, so here you go." Ayako said with a smile. He took the cup from her and sniffed the dark brew. Ayako had learned that Ken took his coffee black with a little honey. Honestly, she thought it was disgusting but said nothing of it. He took a sip and smiled before taking a larger sip.

"It's excellent. Your father's words doesn't give it justice." He said, raising his glass in thanks… then remembered she couldn't see. "Thank you Ayako-san." It was a hard habit to break, calling her 'san', but she didn't seem to mind nor did she correct him.

"There's no need for thanks, Ken-sama." She responded politely. "Everyone needs a good cup of coffee every once and a while. Heck, Tsunade-sama's had three this morning already." Then she turned to Sasuke and held out her hands. He handed her a small bag and a piece of paper. Ayako gave the bag to Ken and smiled. "Those are the same beans and these are the instructions on how to make it like I do, for Tam-chan."

Ken gave her a grateful smile. "I'll be sure to give them to her." He was running a little behind schedule but he didn't mind, Ayako was a very intelligent person to talk to. And she had a different perspective on things, which he sought to ask her opinion on different matters. But now was not the time. He had to make the plans for Hideki's birthday party finalized… which meant he had to leave now. Without further delay, Ken boarded the carriage and it took off.

~xxx~

Training, sleeping, helping the boys train, kunai practice… and the list goes on. Ayako really wanted to get out and go on a mission. Really, was that too much to ask? Even a D-rank mission would have made her happy. Hell, work at the hospital would have made her happy, as long as it got her out and away from the compound for a couple of hours. So, when news of an invitation came to her home, Ayako jumped at the chance to get away from the house and her bothersome cousin, Shisui. He may be her father's best friend, but that didn't mean she had to play nice with him all the time.

"So," he started with a cocky grin, not that she could see it… but she damn well heard the sneer in is voice. "Your father tells me that you and the noble son are an item. Is this true?"

An elegant brow rose in mock amusement; she was still pissed as hell at him for his little stunt yesterday.

_~Flash back~_

_Sakura and Ayako left the house early in the morning. Ayako had an appointment with Tsunade then the duo went grocery shopping. It had been a nightmare that Saturday morning with people jam-packed in the streets and their arms leaden with bags and a few get well gifts. And so, Sakura insisted on asking a few of the neighborhood boys to help them which turned out to be a mistake._

"_Ayako-sama… would you like to go out on a date with me?" one of the boys asked. It was cute, considering that the boy in question was the same age as Shiro._

_Ayako gave a sweet smile and apologized to the young lad then told him that she was already seeing someone. The boy had laughed it off and asked again once they reached the compound. Again, she apologized but gave him a kiss on the cheek for his help. The boy had grinned and ran down the road screaming,_

"_I GOT A KISS FROM AYAKO-SAMA!"_

_Upon entering the house, all Ayako wanted to do was lie down and sleep. So, she trudged up the stairs and turned to her door. Walking into her room, she closed the door and took two steps and…_

BAM

_Her head connected with something. After a few colorful words, Ayako stuck her hands out and felt around only to discover her bed was on the ceiling. "What the hell is this?" she questioned as she checked out the rest of her room. _

WHAM

_This time her side smacked into her dresser that stuck out horizontally from the wall; that was the final straw. She charged out of her room and strode down stairs with a limp. _

"_Who the hell is responsible for my room?" she demanded with a death glare in her blind eyes. She had a huge red mark across her forehead and a limp from smacking her hip. _

_Someone snickered. Ayako's body turned in the direction of the snicker and tensed. She was ready to kill._

"_I should've known it was you, asshole." She spat._

"_Is that anyway to treat your older cousin? I thought Itachi would have taught you better." Shisui smiled at her beet red face. _

"_That's Itachi-SAMA to you, jack ass! Why the hell did you do that to my room?"_

"_I thought it'd be funny… and it was." He said and as if to prove his point, Shisui chuckled which turned to gut-wrenching laughter._

Ka-pow

_She decked him right in the jaw._

_~End flash back~_

"As if it really matters to you cousin, but yes, I am dating Hideki-sama." She answered with a smug smirk that only the Uchiha could muster.

He smiled right back at her. "Sakura-sama told me that you and Tsunade-sama were invited to the noble son's birthday party. Are you going?" what a stupid question to ask.

"Of course I'm going. I have his present right here." She said while patting the box on the table.

"Ooh, what'd you get him? I wanna see, I wanna see!"

"God, you are such a child." But she pulled out the gift, nonetheless. The box contained an assortment of coins. Hideki's only hobby, other than studying taijutsu, was collecting rare coins. Of course, since it was an assortment, she knew that he was bound to have a few of them already but that didn't bother her in the least. All that mattered to her was the fact that she knew he would love it.

"Ayako, I have some good news." Sakura called as she entered the house and strode into the kitchen. Ayako could feel her mother's chakra vibrating with joy. It had to be really good news if it was affecting her chakra like that. "We can heal your eyes."

Silence

"What?" she was skeptical about her mother's declaration. Blindness wasn't something you can just cure at the snap of your fingers. But the way Sakura's voice rang with confidence, it had to be true. "H-how?" she heard herself ask in disbelief.

"Well," she began while escorting Ayako to the table to sit down. "We asked Tomoki-san for help. Rumor had it that a few herbs grow not to far from the palace, so we asked Tomoki-san to pick them and test them for us." Sakura explained with a wide smile. "He confirmed it and sent us a box full of them. So you see, we can, in fact, cure the cataracts and heal your eyes." It was eerily quiet for a while, like the aftermath of a bomb going off.

It took a while to register in Ayako's mind what her mother had just said. When it clicked, she smiled and cried. To her surprise, the arms that wrapped around her weren't her mother's but Shisui's. Though the man could be a pain in the ass, he cared for her just as her father did.

"When do we start?" Ayako asked when the tears subsided.

"Right now, if you want. We have everything we need to get started."

~xxx~

Ayako lay on the hospital table in one of those open-backed gowns that she hated. Unseeing eyes stared up at the ceiling, she was nervous. What if it didn't work? What then? Would she be blind for the rest of her life? Well, that was a given even if they hadn't found this 'miracle cure'. But she really wanted it to work. Heaving a shaky sigh, Ayako waited for Tsunade and Sakura to enter the room.

She would be anesthetized during the procedure due to the pain in removing the cataracts. It was a long and grueling operation that required concentration and skill. Both of which the two women had, hands down. Ayako brought her hands up to her face. She had seriously taken her sight for granted; how she wished she could see her fingers, toes, Hideki's eyes… everything.

The door opened but she didn't notice, too busy inspecting her hands, which she couldn't see just yet.

"Just you wait sweetie, you'll be able to see them in just a little while." Tsunade said is a calming voice.

"I…" she started but couldn't quite finish. She was terrified that it wouldn't work.

"Don't worry; we'll take good care of you." Sakura said as she placed an oxygen mask over Ayako's face. It took effect a lot quicker than anticipated but soon they were ready to begin.

Five different herbs were mixed and crushed in a bowl while Ayako's eyes were taped open. Sakura picked up the bowl and brought it over to the table, next to Ayako's head then she added hot water and mixed it.

"Do you think this'll work?" Sakura asked with a frown. It had worked on so many others, why not now?

"It will, we just need to worry about the Sharingan working after this." Tsunade sounded so confident. It was all Sakura needed to calm her nerves. As for the rest of her family, they were waiting outside of the OR; as nervous as a groundhog emerging from its burrow.

The first incision was made around the iris, dipping her hand in the bowl; Tsunade drew her chakra into her fingertips and placed them near the cut. It took an hour to completely remove the cataract from Ayako's left eye. Nothing was left but the onyx iris they were used to seeing. The process was repeated to her right eye after the left was sealed back up. Once she finished, Sakura reversed the effects of the sleeping gas and got to work on manually healing Ayako's eyes, like she did after the over use of the Sharingan.

"Take it easy. I want you to go through the Sharingan stages for me so I can heal them properly." Sakura said softly as Ayako snapped out of her grogginess. She did as she was told, activating her birthright and proceeded through its stages. Her Mangekyou had changed from three interconnected spikes to a hexagon shape with black lines that connected to the pupil. "Well, that's different." Sakura commented with a smirk.

"I saw that." Ayako said as she blinked.

"How well can you see?" Tsunade asked with a warm smile.

Ayako started to cry, bringing her hands into view. "Perfectly." She laughed suddenly, smiling from ear to ear as she turned her hands to look at the other side. Then she looked around the room and started reading the little signs on the wall to prove her point.

"Let's get you home then." Sakura said drawing her daughter into a bear hug.

The elders had been ecstatic about her recovery, claiming that it was only a matter of time before their matriarch found a way to heal their future leader. Of course that didn't sit well with Itachi or Ayako but they really didn't really matter at the moment. Ayako kept herself busy with packing for her trip to the palace; in the meantime, she had a few letters she wanted to read for herself.

~xxx~

Hideki waited patiently at the main gate for the carriage to arrive. He hadn't heard a word about her recovery, she had kept that a secret… a sort of surprise present for him because she knew how much it pained him to see her that way (Hinato let it slip once when he and Ayako had a heart-to-heart chat a while back).

There, just beyond the crest of the hill, Hideki could see the lanterns on the carriage closing in. His heart jumped into his throat. He didn't want to look into those lifeless eyes, but he would because it was the girl who had his heart so thoroughly captivated. A few minutes later, the carriage came to a stop in front of him and his mother and father had come to greet their guests.

Tsunade was the first to step out with the help of an ANBU guard. Hideki's heart stopped in mid beat as Ayako's hand floated through the air, clasping around the ANBU's. Then she was stepped one the first step, eyes locked on his; those big, beautiful and expressive onyx eyes.

"My God…" he stopped himself there as Ayako walked up to him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I've missed this the most." She whispered with the warm smile.

"Missed what?" he questioned his voice just as low. The others in the group had turned to give them some privacy.

"Looking into your eyes." Her answer was simple but it spoke volumes between them. "Happy Birthday Hideki-kun," his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Having you here means more to me than anything in the world." And for the first time in the seven or eight months that they had known each other, she was seeing him clearly. Seeing him for the man he truly was; the man she loved with all her heart.


	15. Chapter 15

The Council's Intervention

(**A/N: **Just so you know, this is not the last chapter… the next one is. So, enjoy while it lasts.)

~xxx~

Hideki and Ayako spent a lot of time together over the next few months. With her eyesight restored, however, she was back on missions and hospital duty. But every month, Tsunade was gracious enough to give her a week off. There were some changes in the months that followed Ayako's return to active duty. For instants, Naruto was named the next Hokage (he started training for the position as soon as Tsunade mentioned it to him). Itachi had stopped 'stalking' Ayako and Hideki when they were around the house and Ken… well, let's just say that Ken spent a lot of time speaking with Itachi in the back office. She never asked what they were talking about; it wasn't any of her business… yet.

Of course, Hideki had an idea about what they were talking about but he didn't share it with Ayako. No, he and his father had talked about the issue extensively and decided that it would be best to talk it over with Itachi. Marriage contracts were funny like that. And Hideki wasn't sure if Itachi would agree, even though he had spoken to his father about the issue of Ayako being the heiress and him having to take her name. Whatever agreement they came to, he would follow to the fullest… anything to be with her.

When the topic came up between Ayako and Sakura… with Hideki just around the corner, Ayako said,

"It is not my intention to marry the first contract that is wafted my way. I want to choose who is best suited to be my husband." She gave a smile then, "And if it just so happens to be Hideki, then so be it." This brought a smile to his lips. She spoke the truth and he knew it. They had talked about it before and decided that it was best to just go along for the ride. She would make the final decision when it came time for it. They were ready to move forward with their lives even though they had only been together for the last ten months; only knowing each other for a year. But that was a moot point.

For now, they just wanted to spend time together and relish in the peace between them.

~xxx~

Ayako sat on the back porch with Duke by her side, watching the leaves scatter about the yard. Her eighteenth birthday had come and gone… and the marriage contracts had already started to pile up. Itachi had asked her to help him sort through them, and she did so with a frown. So many of them had asked for her hand and many other things but that also meant that the clan would be left with almost nothing. These contracts were tossed in the trash can almost immediately.

They had, however, come across a few that looked promising but the one Itachi was interested in was safely locked away in his desk; awaiting for Ken's next visit to hash out the last few details.

"If this is what I have to look forward to when I have children, then count me out." Ayako sighed as she tossed a stick into the yard. Duke dutifully ran after the stick and brought it back. She briefly thought about how big the dog had gotten –now almost fully grown.

"It's not as bad as it seems." A voice said from behind. Ayako turned to see Ken walking towards her with two cups of tea. "It only looks that way because you're a girl and a lot of men would love to have a powerful kunoichi, such as yourself, to protect them." He handed her a cup and sat down. Ayako said her thanks and took a sip from her cup.

"Well then, I guess I'll just hope to have boys." She said with a smile. Ken laughed and slapped his knee.

"They say boys are easier to raise. I don't have a daughter, so I wouldn't know for sure." He smiled at her. A comfortable silence stretched between them, each thought of something different. Ken was thinking about finally having a daughter while Ayako was debating on whether she would be a good mother or not. "Humor me, if you're first born was a boy what would you name him?"

"Gennosuke." She answered immediately with a firm nod. "He was my best friend when I was younger."

"And what happened to him?" he asked quietly.

"I killed him… it was this whole big mess that we found our selves in. Gennosuke was kidnapped and experimented on, forced to attack the village. But he never made it to the village." Ayako took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It was my first jonin mission, by then Gennosuke had been missing for a year. My team was sent to look for clues to his whereabouts. He attacked us in the middle of the night and I killed him."

Ken gave a low whistle. "I'm sorry to hear that." Now he knew why she had been upset all those months back when the others we talking about their first mission.

"It's ok. I have come to terms with what has happened and I must move forward in his memory." She said with a soft smile. He had no doubt that she would be a good mother. Watching Ayako interact with her brothers and Aki was proof enough for him.

Sakura walked out of the house with another pot of tea. She had heard everything from the kitchen and decided to speak her mind on the matter.

"I speak from experience… boys are easier to raise." She said with a grin. Ayako scowled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Who says I'm having kids? For all you know, I could wait until I'm thirty to have a few."

"I'll almost be sixty by then! That's too old to spoil them rotten." Sakura gasped in mock fear. Scowl firmly in place, Ayako glared at her mother.

"I just don't want my daughter to go through the same aggravation I am now."

Sakura sighed and took a seat next to her daughter. "I went through the same thing, sweetie." She said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "You know, I had no idea your father was romantically interested in me until my grandfather and I found his proposal intermixed with the others." Sakura laughed at the memory of her grandfather going bug-eyed at the sight of the Uchiha clan symbol. "Of course, grandpa thought it was a joke and tossed it in the trash but I saved it. And do you know what I found out?"

"No." Ayako answered, leaning forward and listened intently.

"Your father wrote the whole thing himself." Sakura smiled at her daughter, brushing the hair from her face with her fingertips. "He explained that he was quite serious and that I was the only person he would ever want to share his life with. Naturally, I had to say yes."

Ayako held up her hands. "I get the picture mom. There's no need to delve into your love life." She said with a light frown on her lips. That was the last thing she wanted to hear about.

"I'm just saying; look over all of your options before you make your decision."

Ayako's frown deepened as she looked at the ground. "Besides, there's only one person I want to marry anyway." She whispered before gulping the last of her tea. Sakura and Ken raised an eyebrow at her soft confession, glancing at each other with a knowing look.

"I think it's about time I started dinner." Sakura said as she stood.

"Oh, no you don't." Ayako protested while standing. "You've been at the hospital all day; sit down and relax while I make dinner." Sakura couldn't argue with her, so she sat back down. Ayako walked into the house and headed for the kitchen.

~xxx~

"Well, the stack certainly has dwindled since we last looked through it." Ayako commented as she pulled out her chair from the desk and sat down. Itachi was thinking the same thing while trying to sooth his growing headache.

"I'm going to lay down for a bit, take over for me." He said as he stood from the desk and patted Ayako's shoulder. "We have some new ones you may be interested in." Ayako was already pulling the stack in front of her, eyes locked on the top pages of the first contract. Itachi stood by the door for a moment, a small smile on his lips. He watched as Ayako's eyes widened in shock while picking up the top contract and reading it thoroughly.

"This isn't a trick, is it?" she asked, turning to her father. Itachi shook his head and walked out of the room. Ayako sat there for a moment, contract in hand, and smiled. Now she knew what Ken and Itachi were talking about during his visits. She picked up the other contracts and placed them on the end of the desk, her mind was already made up.

~xxx~

"Let's move on to a more important matter." One of the council members suggested as the meeting dragged on. Itachi sat up straight and set the contract on the table for everyone to see.

"Ayako has chosen Fujimura Hideki." He stated plainly, pushing the contract forward for review.

"The noble son?" one member asked with a frown. "But he's not a shinobi, how can he protect her?" Ayako was sitting in the corner, waiting patiently for the meeting to end when that topic came up.

"You forget Kei-sama, Hideki saved my life during the rescue mission." She pointed out while moving closer to the table, taking her rightful seat on Itachi's right side.

"Hideki died to protect her; thankfully, he was revived to be here with us today." Sasuke defended, training his eyes to the boy next to him. Hideki sat a little taller in his chair; he had been called into the room not five minutes ago with Ayako to review the contract.

"That still does not change the fact that he is not a shinobi!" another member spoke up. She was a pompous, old woman that regularly disagreed with most everything. "My grandson is better suited to be her husband than this boy." The woman said as she pointed a wrinkled finger in Hideki's direction.

"Your son is also in a relationship with a civilian." Ayako pointed out with a smirk on her lips. The older woman bristled.

"That can be remedied." She snapped training her dark eyes on the heiress.

"Please, honorable councilmen, I am willing to do whatever you ask to be the proper husband you wish." Hideki said scanning the room. It seemed that only four of the eight council members agreed on the marriage; Itachi, Sasuke, Gansu and Shisui (whom he had met that morning) were pushing for the marriage.

"The Heritage Law states that the spouse of the heir/heiress must be of jonin status or higher for the marriage to valid and accepted in the village." Kei said with a smug smile.

"I can't believe you would hang something like that over our heads." Ayako said with a scowl. "Hideki and I have sparred on numerous occasions; he is more than capable of protecting me and bringing honor to our clan." The room was divided, half wanted the marriage and the other half wanted nothing more than to proclaim their own selfish desires.

"It is the law and you must obey it as we do." The old woman, Chiaki, shouted while pounding her chubby fist on the table.

"Tell me, does the law include following a maniac to overthrow the Hokage?" Ayako said as she crossed her arms. She hit the nail on the head as none of the opposing members met her gaze. Ayako stood then with her arms at her sides. "I have done all that was asked of me without question and this is how my loyalty is repaid?"

"This is something we cannot bend on, Ayako-sama." Chiaki responded the other three were nodding in agreement.

"I have sacrificed much for the safety of the village and all of you. I never asked for anything in return… but now I'm going to be selfish. You want Hideki to be a jonin before you even consider this marriage, fine! I'll train him myself." She said while slamming her hands on the table, the force of which cracked the mahogany furniture. "And it will be done far from your prying eyes. This meeting is over!" with that said she stormed out of the room with Itachi, Sasuke, Shisui, Hideki, Ken and Gansu hot on her heels.

~xxx~

Tsunade and Naruto sat at the desk listening to Itachi's account of the resent meeting. He was requesting time off for Ayako who was so pissed at the council, she and Hideki went for a long walk.

"The next exam is in six months, where will she train him to keep the council at bay?" Naruto asked while flipping through his calendar.

"She will be at the palace until he is ready. Ayako will also send me word of his progress through Ken-sama." Itachi responded flatly, he wasn't happy about her choice but it had to be done to avoid interference.

"I can't say that I blame her." Tsunade sighed placing her chin atop her laced fingers. "Very well, permission for six months leave is granted for Ayako and another of her choosing. If Hideki must learn to be a true ninja, Ayako may need some help."

Itachi stood and bowed, nodding his thanks to them and left.

~xxx~

She would have asked Hinato for help but he was busy helping his father prepare for his acceptance speech, Hattori was out of the question… he was all the way in Suna and wouldn't have the free time to drop what he was doing to help. So, Shisui was her only option. It wasn't as bad as it sounded… but then again, the man was a helpless flirt and incredibly obnoxious.

"I've never been to the palace." He said, about as excited as a child at a carnival.

"This is important to me, cousin. Don't do anything stupid, ok." She glared at him while they waited at the gates for Ken and Hideki.

"I know, Aya-chan." He said with a smile, one that spoke of understanding. Scary that he could be so nice and sincere.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Ken spoke as he and Hideki approached the pair by the carriage. Both men were smiling at her as they moved to the open door.

"It's no problem, Ken-sama. I'm just a little anxious to shove this in the faces of the council." Ayako grinned at him. Ken laughed and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I can't wait to see it myself." Without further delay, the group left and headed for the palace.

~xxx~

As he predicted, Hideki's training began the morning after their arrival. Ayako and Shisui had worked out a training schedule for him and it was up to Hideki to keep up. They were working on the basics today, chakra control, and then they would step up his training… which was quite brutal actually.

She had warned him the night before that she wouldn't go easy on him… and he found out the hard way not to take her words lightly. Tree climbing was an exhausting task for someone who only used his body, not his chakra, before today. Of course, Hideki was physically fit and he had an enormous amount of chakra but no idea how to strengthen his reserves and use it. Thus the harsh training regiment he found himself in.

He didn't know how many times he fell, loosing count after fifteen, but Hideki was sure he was getting somewhere. Ayako was always there to tell him he almost had it, and he never gave up; keeping in mind what she had said the night before.

_~Flashback~_

_Ayako sighed softly as she sat down on the sofa with her feet propped up on the table of her private room. Hideki sat on the adjacent armchair in a similar manner both tired from his mother's incessant – nagging - questions about the training and fifty million other things. Neither one could really distinguish what she was saying due to her chocked sobs of joy and bone-crushing hugs that left them breathless. Let's not forget the fact that Haruka was talking at about a million words a minute. _

_Peace and quiet at last. _

"_Ayako, what happens if I fail the exams? I mean…what if I'm not good enough?" Hideki asked looking fixedly at the ground. _

"_Then it would be our fault." She said in a flat tone. He looked up at her with questioning eyes, begging for an explanation. "It would be my fault for not training you properly and your fault for not working hard enough." _

_Hideki's gaze hardened suddenly, turning his topaz irises into the deepest of sapphires that rivaled Naruto's. "I understand. I'll do my best."_

_Ayako smiled then, her heart melting at his determination. "Think of it this way, you'll be learning and mastering skills in six months that normally take years to obtain and perfect." Her words struck a cord with him as he gave a tight nod._

"_I'm sure my mother tired you out, I'll let you rest." Hideki said as he stood and walked to the door._

"_Hideki," she called out, standing from the sofa. "Remember, nothing that's worth having ever comes easy." Ayako said and there was the strangest glint in her eyes. But Hideki understood; she was making a promise, a promise to work him to the bone for the sake of their future. With a slight nod, he left her room and went to bed. She would not fail him and he would not fail her._

_~End flashback~ _

It was her words that kept him going. Attempt after attempt until, finally, Hideki stood at the top of the tree only a week after starting his training. Walking back down the tree, Hideki smiled at his accomplishment… and stopped when he caught the shared look between Ayako and Shisui.

"You did great Hideki." She smiled as she stepped forward with a water bottle. "I think that's enough for today. Let's head back and get some rest, ok?"

"What will we be doing tomorrow?" Hideki asked, still weary from the look he saw them share.

"We're going to see how good your taijutsu is," Shisui answered with a grin, "on water."

Oh god…


	16. Chapter 16

Fight For The Future

(**A/N: **Well, you've been waiting patiently for this chapter, so, here you go. I'm sad to see it end, I'd hate to see it go, but in the end… this was definitely a _bang._ No pun intended, Dei-chan. Oh! At the end of this chapter there will be a preview for the next story I'm putting together. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.)

~xxx~

They were gone for twenty-two, long, tough weeks and Itachi was beginning to worry. Sure Ayako's reports were promising and her training was effective, but Itachi had his doubts. Not that he was doubting Hideki, no, he was fairly certain the clan council will find some way to delay, if not dash completely, the proposed marriage. Such were the worries of the great clan lord. But he would worry about that later, for now, he focused his attention on his sons and their training.

"Dad, when do you think Ayako will be back?" Shiro asked as they walked back to the house. Little Akito was wondering the same thing, though he really wasn't very talkative and hadn't been since she left.

"Soon, very soon." Itachi said, patting Akito on the head and ruffling Shiro's hair. "She's due back at the end of the month."

"But that's two weeks away, that's way too long." Akito protested while giving Itachi the puppy-dog face.

"You've lasted five and a half months without her; two more weeks won't kill you." Which was true, Akito was just… quiet in her absence. "Dinner should be ready soon, let's not make your mother wait."

Dinner was a quiet affair, not much conversation floating around like there used to be. It surprised Itachi to see just how much everyone really needed and missed the eldest child. Without anything to do, really, the family headed off to bed, and as usual, Duke hopped onto the foot of the bed. The large dog was out like a light just moments after settling down for the night.

~xxx~

Ayako hissed as the front of door creaked open. She was hoping to get in the door and start on breakfast without waking anyone but the unmistakable _tap, tap, tap _of claws on hardwood told her that Duke was awake and Itachi would be up to check things out. Ayako looked over her shoulder at Hideki and smiled.

"Duke's coming to meet us… there's no point in being quiet anymore. Just keep your voice down, mom and the boys are still sleeping." She whispered then walked down the hallway. Hideki nodded and closed the door behind him. Before Ayako could walk into the living room, Duke charged down the stairs and pounced on her. "Ugh… I missed you too Duke." She gasped, trying to draw in air while the large Dane crushed her chest.

"Duke, that's enough." A stern voice said from the base of the stairs. Ayako looked up to see Itachi standing there with a tiny smile on his lips.

"Sorry papa, did we wake you?" she asked while getting to her feet. Itachi shook his head. "Do you want some coffee?" he nodded and turned his attention to the young man behind his daughter.

"It's good to see you again, Hideki. Please, join us for breakfast." Itachi said while he looked over the boy, soon to be his son-in-law, noting the changes in the blond.

Hideki was taller by about three or four inches, his hair had been bleached by the sun making it a few shades brighter. His skin had tanned from cream to a golden-brown color and from what Itachi could tell, muscle had packed the boy's frame. This was a physically and, most likely, mentally stronger Hideki that sat at the table. The exams were sure to be interesting.

~xxx~

Sakura sat up in bed not long after Itachi and Duke had gotten up. She had been curious as to why Itachi hadn't come back. She hared voices from downstairs and the hyperactive clatter of claws running across the floor. Maybe Tsunade came to visit. But at this ungodly hour? Sakura checked the clock again. There was no chance in hell that Tsunade would show up at 6:37 in the morning. Deciding she couldn't sleep anymore, Sakura slipped out of bed and headed for the door.

"Mom, what's with all the noise?" Shiro asked as he and Akito walked toward her. Apparently, Duke was loud enough to wake the dead… naming her sons that could sleep through a tornado.

Sakura shrugged. "Let's go find out." Leading the boys downstairs, Sakura caught a glimpse of raven hair and dismissed it as Sasuke heading into the kitchen. Wait a second… Sasuke doesn't wear red shirts… "Yak-chan?" she called out tentatively, thinking she had finally lost her mind.

"How many times must I ask you not to call me that?" an agitated voice responded with a low growl, clearly distinguishable from around the corner.

"Aneki!!" the boys yelled as they ran into the kitchen. They promptly pined her against the counter in a vicious hug that Ayako had to pry herself from. She then found herself caught in the tight grip of her mother's arms as the group hug closed around her.

"I've missed you all so much." Ayako said after a minute, unable to make herself let go of her brothers' shoulders with her chin resting on Sakura's shoulder. "I should finish breakfast before it burns." Reluctantly, they let her go and sat down at the table. Sasuke gave a wave as he entered the kitchen and stopped at the sight of the blonde sitting next to Akito, making fun of his pajamas.

"Ah, you've returned." Sasuke said as he sat down.

"Yup, we just got in." Ayako responded with a smile.

"Thank god for small favors, your mother's cooking has gotten a little better… but not by much."

"TAKE THAT BACK SASUKE!!" Nope. Things hadn't changed in her six months absence.

"Why should I? It's the truth."

_BAM _- something slammed against the wall.

Nope… things were still the same.

~xxx~

Forgotten were those carefree moments they shared during their off hours. Forgotten were those sweet words whispered when no one was around. Forgotten were those stolen kisses under the protective willow branches. No, this was business. _This _was their continued hard work and hope. Their future depended on his success in the exams. She stood with him while he filled out the necessary paperwork, introduced him to her peers and comrades; Ayako had even introduced him as her _fiancée. _That's how much faith she had in him.

Ibiki stood stock-still as the words slipped passed her lips. He shook his head to clear it and took a step forward.

"Care to repeat that? I thought you just said that he was your fiancée." Ibiki said with a deep frown.

"You heard correctly, Morino-san. I will not repeat what needs to be said once." Ayako explained with a scowl. She had to be crazy… at least that was the general consensus in the room full of people.

"I think hell just froze over." An ANBU said as he sat down. Ah, one of the many fan boys and he didn't seem to happy about her announcement. Her scowl deepened.

"Jeez, you all act as if I'm moving to another village." She snapped while crossing her arms. "I'm not going anywhere and my team will remain intact. For crying out loud, will someone shut him up?" the abovementioned ANBU was throwing a fit, nearly in hysterics. Well, that went better than she had anticipated. Ayako half expected her mentor to start yelling and through a fit but that was tossed out the window when Ibiki and Hideki shook hands and stuck up a _friendly _conversation.

"Is there anything else you need or did you just come to fill out the paperwork?" the interrogation specialist asked, turning to face Ayako.

"I'm behind in my paperwork, so, I just came to pick it up and get it done before the exams start." She responded with a tiny smile. She knew it wouldn't take long to get it done… and she knew just how much he hated how thorough she was when it came to her reports. It made more work for him but, at least, her information was accurate.

"Wait until after the exams; I've got too much shit to do before then. I wouldn't be able to get through the first page in time for the first stage of the exams with all the crap you write." He waved a dismissive hand at her as if to shoo her away like a fly. "And besides, you just got back and you're two weeks early…"

Ayako pouted. "Fine, fine… but I blame you for my boredom." And so, she trained with Hideki and Sasuke.

~xxx~

Time seemed to fly by as Hideki worked himself stupid, training for the exams. Itachi often commented that Hideki seemed to be getting stronger and faster every day… which displeased the opposing council members every time he mentioned it. Itachi watched with great amusement as Hideki and Ayako spared. The noble son had caught Ayako off guard and knocked the raven-haired girl into a tree. She saw stars for a while and when her head cleared… she could only smile at him. He had worked so hard for her and Itachi could see the end result.

With a clear indication of the boy's skills, Itachi was confident the young man would prove the council wrong. And that was what Itachi had been hoping for. He also knew that once Ayako took her seat at the council table permanently, it was only a matter of time before the last of Madara's faction was completely removed from the clan's shadow and they would return it to it's former glory… without the secrets and plots. But that wish was still a little ways off… but there was still that hope.

Upon waking up this morning, Sakura had one thing on her mind; where would the two live once they had married? It was an honest concern and a rather displeasing thought at that. There wasn't enough room in the main house for another person to hunker down… and what if they decided to start their own family? Another good point but where could they go?

"Don't fret mother." Ayako said while walking into the kitchen, she could sense Sakura's mixed feelings. "The east wing isn't being used and it won't take long to clear it out."

Sakura had completely forgotten about that. "That's a great idea." She laughed to cover up her worries. "We should clear that half out and have a little house warming party… just for the two of you."

"I'm not worried about that mother." Ayako sighed while resting her chin in her hand. "The exams are tomorrow and I'm on duty. I'm going to miss it."

Sakura smiled at her daughter. "The boys can give you a play-by-play account when you get off duty… lord knows they'll be enraptured by his skills." The boys had been caught watching Hideki and Ayako spar when they were supposed to be training themselves. Let's not forget the crimson eyes that watched in awe until they were spotted and reprimanded for neglecting their duties.

"So not fair." She whined plopping backward into the chair at the head of the table. "I want to see it for myself."

"But I need the best ANBU on duty to guard the village and besides… you'll get to see it." A male voice said from the doorway.

"And how is that, Naruto-sama?" Ayako questioned with a brow raised.

"Well," he started with a foxy grin. "I do need a bodyguard for the occasion." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and padded slowly into the kitchen… too slowly. "But if you don't want to, I can always ask Sasuke."

"No, no, I'll do it." Ayako jumped up to her feet and hugged him. "Thank you _Hokage-sama._"

"No problem kiddo, just make sure you're alert and ready for anything."

"You mean, make sure you stay awake and keep you from snoring?" she joked with a mock glare and Naruto gave a sheepish smile.

"Yeah… something like that. These last few exams haven't been… um… exciting." He shrugged again and walked towards the table. Her glare turned real in a snap. Ayako had to restrain a candidate last year because the kid lost his temper and nearly took out half of the other candidates. "Hattori and Temari will be arriving early tomorrow, Gaara and Kankuro just arrived this afternoon… if you want to go see them." Disaster diverted. Ayako looked ready to smack him in the head. She was out the door and calling for Hideki in the blink of an eye.

~xxx~

Today was the day; the beginning of the rest of their lives… or so Hideki hoped. He was nervous, hands fidgeting, heart pounding in his chest and his eyes kept glancing at the tall ANBU standing next to Naruto. He knew it was Ayako by the way she stood; arms back, head held high… and the fact that whenever he looked up at her, her head would turn in his direction and she would give him a tiny nod. It was reassuring but it didn't seem to be enough.

"… _nothing that's worth having ever comes easy."_

Her words were as true as ever, even if she had told him that all of six months ago. Everyone had wished him luck this morning, Every on but Ayako. She didn't wish him luck. She simply kissed him and told him to do his best then she disappeared in a poof of smoke. She had left before the sun was up, hell, she had come into his room while he was still sleeping. But he heard her and only wished he had woken up sooner to see her off.

His parents and brother smiled at him from their seats high up in the arena. They were seated with the Uchiha family in one of the many box seats near where Ayako stood by Naruto and the Kazekage. This year's exams were straight forward; defeat your opponent in battle. But victory alone wasn't enough to qualify you for jonin rank. As with other exams, your skills earned your rank and Hideki was trained by the best.

It was his turn and by god he was going to show everyone what he was made of, what Ayako taught him and most importantly, Hideki was going to show the council that he was worthy of being Ayako's husband whether they liked it or not, today he would become a jonin.

A tall, bulky man stepped into the arena with a large scroll on his back. This man was from Suna so Hideki figured that he was either a puppet master or he specialized in earth jutsu. Either way, Hideki had been taught to counter both. Under normal circumstances, the jonin exams weren't held for other villages to see, but seeing as how the number of applicants were smaller this year, a mere thirty, Suna and Konoha held there's together. And it also helps to know the exact strength of your allying forces.

"Hey kid, I suggest you go back to your mommy and daddy before you get hurt." Sneered the shinobi with a smirk.

"I will not back down." Hideki said as he glared at the man before him. The match began with a thundering explosion. Hideki had started it off with the Phoenix Flower jutsu, putting some distance between him and his opponent. The man dodged it, as expected, and Hideki worked to circle him with wire. The thin, black and nearly invisible thread wrapped around the Sunian but he didn't notice.

"Not bad kid," the man said with a half smile. "But you'll have to do better than that." His smile faded once he felt the tug of the wire around his ankle. "Oh, shit…" and he was swept off his feet with a harsh yank. Hideki swung wide and launched him into the wall.

"Well now, it seems Hideki has some more advanced skills." Gaara commented, glancing at the ANBU to the right of Naruto.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yes, and he's acquired these skills in just six months. It makes me wonder…"

"ANBU training works for anyone if given the right motivation." Ayako interjected, nodding toward the fight that just heated up.

"Jira will not win this match." Gaara said as he focused on the fight.

Gleaming crimson eyes settled on Hideki once more. "You are correct, Kazekage-sama."

Jira broke the wire around his leg and charged Hideki at full speed, kunai ready for a final strike. Hideki ducked, narrowly missing the swipe aimed for the jugular and landed a powerful kick to the ribs. Utilizing his advanced chakra control, thanks to Ayako and Shisui's training, Hideki bounced backward and landing with chakra infused feet on the wall. He eyed the Suna shinobi while a glowing hand wiped at his cheek, healing the bleeding gash as his other hand reached for another spool of trip wire. It was an outdated tool but Hideki had taken a liking to it and adopted it, perfected it and made it work in his favor.

As Jira stood, Hideki used his chakra to maneuver the wire around Jira and snared his in it's tight grasp. It was now or never. Making hand signs, Hideki brought his fingers to his lips and blow out his breath between his index finger and thumb… and the powerful Grand Fireball hurtled its way toward the entangled man. But it hit the ground at Jira's feet just as Hideki had wanted. The frightened man stumbled backward, landing flat on his back. Hideki rocketed off the wall and landed next to him, and instead of landing the final blow, Hideki held out his hand to the fallen man. The match was over. Hideki had won.

All thirty shinobi participating in the exams stood before the Hokage and the Kazekage, awaiting to see just who would be granted the rank of jonin. Much of their afternoon was spent debating as to whom would be picked and the village council had been adamant about two shinobi in particular. Four from each village were chosen; three had already received their vests. Now was the time for the final pick for each village.

"Hideki, please step forward." Naruto instructed, trying to hide his smile. "We were thoroughly impressed with your skills and use of an outdated trapping tool as a weapon. Hideki, take your vest… you've earned it."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Hideki said with a bow. He wanted to hug Ayako while he was there but that wouldn't have been appropriate for the situation. She was still on duty until the Hokage dismissed her. He settled for stepping back into line and looked over the green flank vest.

"Hey kid," Jira whispered looking from the corner of his eyes at Hideki. "You did good… maybe we can train together the next time we meet."

Hideki gave a soft nod, looking up from his vest. "That would be most favorable." he responded and extended his hand in a friendly gesture. They shook on it and Jira was called for his vest.

~xxx~

Two years later found Hideki in a rather shocked state. They had just welcomed their first child into the world. A beautiful raven-haired, blue-eyed boy they had affectionately name Gennosuke; Hideki couldn't have been more happier. Living in their private sanctuary of the east wing of the main house, the small family thrived. Though it still amazed him that they had created such a beautiful being, Hideki would never complain about having to wake up in the middle of the night to feed his son nor would he complain about diaper duty.

His wonderful wife, Ayako, had taken a job at the academy so she could be home more often, especially with the newborn. Hideki had become ANBU to help support the family and once Itachi decided to step down, Hideki had planned to be right there with Ayako to help raise the clan to new heights. But that was a ways off still, so he settled on watching his son sleep.

It was overwhelming at first but Hideki quickly learned to juggle his time between missions and his family. With help form his parents and Ayako's parents, the newly christened parents had found time for themselves through all of the work and taking care of an ever-fussy child.

"He looks so much like you." Ayako whispered in his ear as she leaned over the couch and wrapped her arms around his chest, mindful of the sleeping child in his arms.

"Ah, but he has your smile." He responded as he turned his head to look at her. "I still can't believe I'm a father." Hideki sighed. There lips touched for a moment, a sweet bliss they had little time for nowadays.

"When does your vacation start?" she asked with a wistful sigh against his peach lips.

"Next week." He answered leaning his head back to rest on her shoulder. Gennosuke shifted, cracking open one bright blue eye to look upon his parents. He cooed softly as Ayako ran her slender fingers over his mop of dark hair.

"He's learned how to crawl on his own and sit up without help." She said with a small smile. Hideki looked surprised at the six-month-old child.

"Is that normal?" he asked while looking over the young child the smiled so sweetly at him.

"It was the same with my father and myself." She paused for a moment then smiled at him. "Don't worry, he will be a strong shinobi one day but I have no intention of handing him over to the clan to do as they see fit. Madara's reign will not fall on him."

"He will be shown love and compassion." Hideki stated firmly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, dear." At this point, Gennosuke started to fuss… he was hungry. "Don't worry, mommy's got you this time. Daddy needs to rest for a while." Ayako cooed while picking up her son and taking him to the kitchen. Yes, he will be loved like all children should.

**The End**

**A/N: **Thank you all so much for your kind words of support. Alright, as promised, here's a preview of my next story 'Serpentine Child'. But before the preview, I want to give you some info on it so it's not that confusing.

(Info) The story is a Kabuto x OC story… because there doesn't seem to be anyone around… compatible… for him. Orochimaru discovers that he must make a shell to host his soul so that he could live forever. That's what she was supposed to be. He had been told the experiment failed… but in all reality, it worked. In fact it worked so well, the Kusakage used her to host Hachibi no Hachimata, the Eight-Tailed demon and master of all forbidden jutsu. Orochimaru finders her in the middle of a fight with the Akatsuki and steals her away. Time for the preview.

(Pre) Oboro looked about as furious as one would expect, being chained up the very moment she stepped back into the village. The pale-skinned, raven-haired ANBU padded noiselessly through the village behind her Kage to the tower. People stared at her, whispered things about her; she was a monster thus the chains and constant surveillance teams around her house.

At sixteen years of age, said monster had seen her share of blood shed and felt her share of pain. The one thing that hurt her the most what the fact that once her mask came off, her mother refused to look at her. She looked too much like the man that created her. You hared me right, she wasn't born, she had been created for the soul purpose to die for the man that had played God to make her.

She was a monstrosity that served a man that wanted nothing more than to conquer the shinobi world. And he could do it too. All he had to do was remove the seal and-

"It took you less time than expected to finish your task." Joshi commented from his seat behind the desk. Chains clanked loudly as Oboro sat down in the chair to his right.

"Hai, sneaking in was a piece of cake." She answered without a hint of emotion in her young voice.

"And what of the scroll?" he inquired with a raised brow. The shinobi in the room tensed as she reached into her pack. They relaxed at the sight of said scroll as she placed it on the table.

"The Five-Tails was captured during our mission. This is becoming serious, my lord." She said as her golden eyes peered through the slits of her mask.

"Are you worried that they will come for you?" there was a pregnant pause before Oboro lifted her mask to reveal her pale features and the purple eye markings that stretched down the sides of her nose.

"I will be concerned once they appear."

**Cont. A/N: So tell me what you think. See you guys in the next story.**


End file.
